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Luristan (or Lorestan) literally means
“Land of the
Lurs”, and was situated in a wide sweep
of the
Zagros mountains in what is now western
Iran.
The sociopolitics of this area are
complex, with
repeated waves and invasions of Medes,
Cimmerians and Persians, amongst others,
but
the culture thus created is remarkable
for its
superb control of metalworking. There
are many
styles, but the best-known pieces of
bronze
from this area are anthropomorphic and
zoomorphic pieces reflecting religious
and
secular tastes, as well as weaponry and
utilitarian
items that were buried with the deceased
in
tombs across the Zagros area. It was
nonetheless viewed as a precious
resource, and
was used alongside iron once this metal
became
available, for while its qualities of
hardness and
durability were recognized, it merely
made
bronze a more socially exclusive
material. The
hallmark of Luristan wares is the
tendency to
elongate the necks, tails and bodies of
the
animals to produce graceful curves and
arches.
The re-discovery of the splendor of
Luristan
metalwork began in the 1930s and made
considerable progress after World War
II. The
absence of relevant written records
makes their
complex imagery difficult to interpret
in specific
religious terms but it is likely that
they represent
local deities of some kind. It has been
suggested
that such elaborate bronze items must
have been
the preserve of the tribal leaders, a
warrior class
with the means to equip themselves and
their
households for war.
Centuries ago, some individual hoping
for the
blessings of the gods left this gift of
costly
bronze at a shrine. Abstract yet
elegant, it is
meant to capture the attention of the
deity it
depicts. Except for the land and the
time that the
votary lived, we know little else about
him or her.
What was it that they requested of the
heavens?
Were their dreams for health, wealth and
happiness so very different from our
own? As we
contemplate this small image of a
forgotten
deity, we recognize that the essentials
of human
existence have changed little with the
centuries.
- (FZ.113)
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