Cheekpieces from a Horse Bit
Cheekpieces from a Horse Bit
Place of OriginIran, likely from Luristan
Date800-650 BCE
DimensionsH: 2 13/16 in. (7.1 cm); W: 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm)
MediumBronze.
ClassificationMetalwork
Credit LineGift of Georges Henri Riviere
Object number
1931.76A-B
Not on View
DescriptionIn the form of an ibex head with encircling horns and added wheel motif through which the ends of the bit passed.
Label TextLuristan art encompasses intricately cast bronze objects—such as horse gear, weapons, and ritual finials—produced in western Iran's Zagros Mountains between 1000 and 650 BCE. Characterized by stylized animal motifs and openwork designs, these artifacts reflect the material culture of nomadic or transhumant societies in Iran. Most known examples surfaced through antiquities markets, often lacking archaeological context.
800-650 BCE
800-650 BCE
750-650 BCE
Perhaps 2nd century
about 2400 - 2000 BCE
200-100 BCE
2nd-1st century B.C.E.
7th century BCE or later
2nd-1st century B.C.E.
Probably second quarter of the first century
Perhaps second century
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