A LURISTAN BRONZE ‘IBEX’ AXE-HEAD, LAST QUARTER... Lot n° 323
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A LURISTAN BRONZE ‘IBEX’ AXE-HEAD, LAST QUARTER OF 2ND TO EARLY 1ST MILLENNIUM BC
Iran, c. 1200-700 BC. Heavily cast, the axe-head with a fan-shaped blade and a cylindrical socket that extends to a tiered pedestal surmounted by an ibex torso. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown, solid patina with distinct areas of malachite encrustations.
Provenance: From the private collection of Ibolya Laufer, Hungary, and thence by descent within the same family.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Obvious losses, extensive wear, minor casting flaws, few nicks, light scratches, signs of weathering and corrosion, and encrustations.
Weight: 825 g
Dimensions: Length 20.2 cm
Luristan bronzes are small, cast, and decorated objects from the early Iron Age which have been found in Lorestan province and Kermanshah in western Iran. They include a great number of ornaments, tools, weapons, horse fittings, and a smaller number of vessels including situlae and are characterized by a wide range of idiosyncratic forms and a highly stylized conception of human and animal representation. Those from recorded excavations were generally found in burials. The ethnicity of the people who created them remains unclear, though they may well have been Iranian, possibly related to the modern Lur people who have given their name to the area. Luristan bronze objects came to the notice of the world art market from the late 1920s onwards. They were excavated in considerable quantities by local people and are found today in many of the world’s most important museums.
Literature comparison:
Compare a shaft-hole axe head with an animal head, dated 10th-8th century BCE, in the collection of the Havard Art Museum, object number 1992.256.137.A. Compare a related axe-head with animal heads, dated 10th-5th century BC, in the collection of the British Museum, museum number 130676.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 12 April 2022, lot 53
Price: USD 21,420 or approx.
EUR 21,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Luristan bronze axe head surmounted by an ibex, circa 1200-900 BC
Expert remark: Compare the related form and manner of casting. Note the size (25.4 cm) and the ibex surmounting the axe head.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 12 April 2022, lot 52
Price: USD 5,292 or approx.
EUR 5,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Luristan bronze axe head, circa 1200-900 BC
Expert remark: Compare the related form, manner of casting, and similar animal heads. Note the similar size (20.9 cm).
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