Rare Luristan Bronze Arrowhead with Multiple Barbs

£ 165.00

An exceptional, very rare and unusual bronze arrowhead from Luristan. The item features a barbed blade with two additional sets of barbs on either side and rounded decoration on the shaft, providing a fletched appearance. The tang would have been fitted into a wooden shaft, and fletching added to form a complete weapon.

Date: Circa 1200-800 BC
Provenance: Ex Abelita family collection, 1980-2015.
Condition: Very fine, a beautiful deep green patination visible on the surface. Some earthly encrustations.

SOLD

Product Code: NES-64
Category: Tag:

Luristan bronze comes from the province of Lorestan, a region situated in the area of modern Southwestern Iran. In ancient times a number of nomadic populations, such as the Medes, the Kassites and eventually the Persians settled in the area. Due to the nomadic nature of the tribes, Luristan bronze creations were often small-scale, since they had to be light and portable. Most of Luristan weapons have been recovered in funerary contexts, suggesting that such weapons would have been used not only in everyday life but also with ceremonial purposes. The Luristan bronzes, remarkable for their beauty and their historical importance, illustrate the connections between the early art and metallic production of various groups in Western Asia.

To learn more about the metalwork of ancient Luristan, visit our relevant blog post: Ancient Luristan and the Luristan Bronzes.

Dimensions L 13.8 x W 2.5 cm
Region

Near East (Western Asiatic)

Metal

Bronze

Reference: For a similar item, Metropolitan Museum, item 62.155.

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