Dagger; Luristan; c. 1900-1600 AD.
Bronze and bone.
Certificate of authenticity enclosed.
Measurements: 30.6 cm.
Bronze dagger with traces of bone on the hilt. The Luristan culture developed between the 11th and 8th centuries BC, when it was eliminated by the conflicts in the area during that century. They were a nomadic people from southern Russia, settled on the Iranian plateau and composed of different independent groups, with no national identity but with common cultural characteristics. They developed a rich metal culture, working mainly in bronze. They made all kinds of functional objects from bronze, as well as votive offerings and objects of personal adornment. Their art was figurative, albeit cryptic and deeply symbolic, seeking expressiveness over naturalism. There is always a marked axis of symmetry in the Luristan pieces, as can be seen in this short sword, which is virtually devoid of ornamentation but nevertheless endowed with flowing forms reminiscent of the blade of a large plant. This simple design suggests the organic, giving the piece the appearance of a vegetable leaf without actually making it concrete, playing with suggestion and formal evocation. In fact, the ambiguity of forms and motifs was a constant in the pieces of this culture, mainly in the figures of divinities, although it was a concept, as we can see here, that was totally assimilated and extended to all production.