Openwork pin with a squatting female
This is a bronze pin with an openwork design on the head. The design features a stylized squatting woman controlling two horned animals. The woman’s face is obscured by corrosion, but it is clear that she has horns, marking her as a goddess. Two large curls to either side of her head may be hair or earrings. She also has pellet-shaped breasts. Her arms, which curl upward, each grasp the snout of a stylized horned animal. These animals has long, curved necks which join in the middle beneath the goddess, forming the groundline on which she squats. A strut connects the goddess to the bottom of the design, and two curved elements connect the animals’ heads to the goddess’; it is not clear if these are decorative or structural, or both.
This pin was excavated at Surkh Dum, a settlement site in Luristan in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran. It was part of a large hoard of objects buried beneath a doorjamb in a structure interpreted as a sanctuary; thus the objects were probably offerings made for a god. Openwork pins of this sort are frequently attributed to Luristan, but this is one of the few examples from an archaeological excavation.
This pin was excavated at Surkh Dum, a settlement site in Luristan in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran. It was part of a large hoard of objects buried beneath a doorjamb in a structure interpreted as a sanctuary; thus the objects were probably offerings made for a god. Openwork pins of this sort are frequently attributed to Luristan, but this is one of the few examples from an archaeological excavation.
Artwork Details
- Title: Openwork pin with a squatting female
- Period: Iron Age III
- Date: ca. 8th–7th century BCE
- Geography: Iran, Luristan, Surkh Dum
- Culture: Iran
- Medium: Bronze
- Dimensions: 5 11/16 × 2 9/16 × 1/4 in. (14.4 × 6.5 × 0.7 cm)
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1943
- Object Number: 43.102.1
- Curatorial Department: Ancient West Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Iran
ca. 8th century BCE
Iran
ca. 10th–8th century BCE
Iran
ca. 9th century BCE
Iran
ca. 9th century BCE
Achaemenid
ca. 5th century BCE
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.