Pendant in the form of a dog
This cast bronze pendant is in the form of a dog. It has a long snout, pointed ears, a tubular body and a raised tail. A thick suspension loop connects the back of its head with its shoulders.
This pendant 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. Indeed, in Mesopotamia dogs were often associated with specific gods. But it is unknown whether this dog had a secular or a sacred purpose, or both.
This pendant 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. Indeed, in Mesopotamia dogs were often associated with specific gods. But it is unknown whether this dog had a secular or a sacred purpose, or both.
Artwork Details
- Title: Pendant in the form of a dog
- Period: Iron Age III
- Date: ca. 8th–7th century BCE
- Geography: Iran, Luristan, Surkh Dum
- Culture: Iran
- Medium: Bronze
- Dimensions: 0.87 x 1.14 in. (2.21 x 2.9 cm)
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1943
- Object Number: 43.102.15
- Curatorial Department: Ancient West Asian Art
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Iran
ca. 8th century BCE
ca. early 1st millennium BCE
Iran
1st millennium BCE
Iran
ca. 10th–8th century BCE
Achaemenid
ca. 5th century BCE
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