Bracelet with animal terminals
Not on view
This bronze bracelet has terminals in the form of stylized animals. The animals have elongated snouts, open mouths, bulging eyes, long necks and extended forelegs. A ring emerges from the back of each. Although the animals are difficult to identify on account of their condition and stylized form, comparison with other bracelets and metal objects attributed to Luristan suggests that they are lions.
This bracelet 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.
Lion imagery is a common feature in ancient Iranian art. In Elamite and Achaemenid art lions were associated with kingship. They also figure prominently in the bronzework that is frequently attributed to Luristan in the Iron Age, where they may symbolize the power of nature. Indeed, Luristan is a rugged region, and lions were thus an appropriate symbol of the challenges of living there.
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