Luristan bronze comes from the province of Lorestan, renowned in antiquity for its sophisticated metal working techniques. Due to the nomadic nature of the populations that settled in the area, none of the Luristan bronzes were of great size, since it was required for them to be light and portable. Excavated items most often included weapons, tools, vessels and finials, but ornamental pieces such as amulets, fittings and jewellery such as pins or bracelets also feature in the material record. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Luristan bronze objects often served ceremonial functions given their funerary contexts, and there are recurring artistic motifs of flora and fauna and the human relationship to each throughout their work.
To learn more about Luristan culture and metallurgy, please see our relevant blog post: Ancient Luristan and the Luristan Bronzes
