Luristan bronze is a term referring to a set of ancient
bronze artifacts of various individual forms which
have been recovered from Luristan and Kermanshah
areas in west-central Iran. They include a great
number of weapons, ornaments, tools, and
ceremonial objects. It is not certain whether they
were created by the Cimmerians or the ancient
Persians-Medes. Typical Luristan style objects
belong to the (Iranian) Iron Age (c. 1300/1250-650
BC). The term "Luristan bronze" is not normally used
to refer to earlier bronze artifacts from Luristan,
datable to a period between the fourth millennium
BCE and the (Iranian) Bronze Age (c. 3000/2900-
1300/1250 BC), when bronze objects from Luristan
were similar to those found in Mesopotamia and on
the Iranian plateau. BRONZES OF LURISTAN, the
accepted term for a distinct body of metalwork
produced in the first half of the first millennium b.c.
and characterized by a wide range of idiosyncratic
forms and a highly stylized conception of human and
animal representation. These bronzes are to be
distinguished from material excavated in Luristan but
belonging to earlier periods and from material
incorrectly attributed to Luristan. Typical categories
of canonical Luristan bronze artifacts include cast
animal finials, standards with masters of animals,
horse cheekpieces, and harness attachments in the
form of naturalistic or fantastic creatures, figured and
disc pins, whetstone handles, and bracelets. Among
the weapons are swords, daggers, axes, maces,
quivers, and halberds. Both casting and repousse‚
techniques were employed. Among the highly
stylized human and animal forms the zoomorphic
juncture plays an important part, especially on pins,
bracelets, and weapons.
- (LO.1370)
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