Horse. Luristan, ca. 1200-800 BC. Bronze. Good... Lot 45

Horse. Luristan, ca. 1200-800 BC. Bronze. Good condition. Provenance: Classical Archaeology F. Cervera, Spain, 2014. Measurements: 14 x 16 cm. This piece is a horse bit, a tool that allows a stick to be introduced into the horse's mouth and whose purpose is to exert force to act as a bridle for the animal. This bit is made of bronze and features a fantastic figure, a half-man, half-winged animal hybrid. Such fantastical beings would characterise compositions from the first millennium BC. It is unclear whether horse bits were made for practical use or only for funerary purposes to be placed under the heads of deceased humans; however, as many examples appear to show wear and almost all have rear tines that could have been used as stingers, it seems likely that they were used in everyday life for large horses, which is also indicative of a mobile community.