Iran, c. 1200-700 BC. Well cast, the slender blade with a central ridge, the tapering socket with several rings framed by incised hatchwork and two apertures to the base for mounting.

Provenance: From a Royal Collection. The stand with an old inventory label, '326'.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, casting flaws, few nicks, light scratches, minimal nibbling to edges. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown, solid patina with vibrant malachite, azurite, and cuprite encrustations.

Weight: 136 g (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Length 36 cm (incl. stand) and 33.3 cm (excl. stand)

Mounted on an old wood stand. (2)

Luristan bronzes are small, decorated objects from the Early Iron Age (first millennium BC) which have been found in large numbers 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 Indo-European, 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.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie's London, 4 December 2019, lot 489
Price: GBP 1,250 or approx. EUR 1,900 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Luristan bronze spear head, early 1st millennium BC
Expert remark: Compare the related form, with similar central ridge and hollow socket, and patina. Note the size (47.6 cm).