Head of pin

Iran

Not on view

This is the head of a bronze pin in the form of three animal heads. The central element represents a duck’s head turned back onto its wings. The side elements are two long-necked animals, possible felines. They have squat snouts, large eyes, and long ears, all very stylized.

This pinhead was excavated at Surkh Dum, a settlement site in Luristan in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran. It was found in a structure interpreted as a sanctuary and was thus probably an offering to a god. Such pins were probably used to fasten clothing and as objects of adornment in their own right.

Head of pin, Bronze, Iran

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