Luristan, the central province of Iran’s western frontier, is a region of open plains intersected by high parallel mountain ranges running northwest to southeast. Although the formidable topography in this region fostered the separate development of many local isolated communities, by the later second millennium B.C., widespread seminomadism forestalled complete isolation. Fresh influences from migration and trade resulted in the regions cultural traditions being relatively open to change, a characteristic that is atypical of secluded peoples. The bronze work from this region reveals a culture whose art was stylistically influenced by Mesopotamia, while at the same time contained traits that were distinctly local and unparalleled outside the region.
This bronze pin with its female figurehead is a beautiful example of Luristan metalworking skill and artistry. Pins and personal ornaments were amongst the earliest objects to be made of metal in western Iran and deposited in graves from the early third millennium onwards. The elegance of line and proportion in the rendering of this human figure touches the sensibilities of modern man as equally as those of the ancients. Softly swelling curves and a smoothness of finish, enhanced by the passage of time, make this pin a truly ageless work of art, to be savored by all who are fortunate enough to be captured by her spell.