LOST ART: Ancient Iranian Bronzes in the Union College Permanent Collection

Near Eastern Bronze Culture, Northwestern Iran (Luristan?), Equine figurine, copper alloy, 1300-650 BCE?, gift of Carl and Gail George, Union College Permanent Collection, 1996x.1.40.2 UCPC

Union College’s Permanent Collection of art and artifacts includes an uncommon and exceptional collection of bronze weaponry and horse fittings from ancient Iran, generously donated by Professor Emeritus Carl George. This exhibition features the majority of the collection, which is representative of the famed but ill-fated Luristan bronzes that have intrigued and confounded museum curators, scholars, and archaeologists since the 1920s when they began to show up on the European and American art markets.

A rich, stylistically unparalleled metalworking industry, with a main period of production from 1300/1250 to 700/650 BCE, emerged from the formidable Zagros mountain region of northwestern Iran. The "canonical Luristan bronzes" were formed using the lost-wax casting process and include many object types that are indigenous to the region and incorporate the unfamiliar and bizarre iconography that distinguishes and renders the Luristan tradition so recognizable.

Selected images from the exhibit: 

LOST ART Ancient Iranian Bronzes - exhibit photo 02

LOST ART Ancient Iranian Bronzes - exhibit photo 01

LOST ART Ancient Iranian Bronzes - Curator Speech

LOST ART Ancient Iranian Bronzes - Owner Speech

Full exhibit Information:

Please visit: https://muse.union.edu/mandeville/project/lost-art-ancient-iranian-bronzes/