Lot 9
9
THE PROPERTY OF A NEW YORK PRIVATE COLLECTOR
AN IRANIAN BRONZE HORSE BIT

NORTHWEST IRAN, CIRCA 900-700 B.C.

Details
AN IRANIAN BRONZE HORSE BIT
northwest iran, circa 900-700 b.c.
Each cheekpiece finely cast in the form of a standing, bearded "Master of the Animals" grasping the necks of two ibexes, framed by two stylized palm trees, with a groundline below, the deity's body pierced, through which passes the thick bit with coiled ends
4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm.) high
Provenance
Antiquities, Christie's London, 12 November 1977, lot 53.
Literature
Muscarella, Bronze and Iron, Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, p. 88.

Lot Essay

For a single cheekpiece of similar style, see no. 147 in Muscarella, Bronze and Iron. Noting the fine style, the author suggests this group does not come from Luristan, but rather, from Northwest Iran, perhaps Hasanlu.