Large Bronze Statuette of a Goddess from Luristan

Culture: Iran/Luristan

Period: 8th-7th century B.C.

Material: Bronze

Dimensions: 22.5 cm high

Price: 28 000 Euro

Ref: 6712

Provenance: From the Iranian collection of Samad Khamenei, Tehran, acquired in June 1970 and thereafter in family ownership. In 1974, in the “Collection B Ltd” of Hans Fritz Roth in Zurich and later with his son Frederick Roth. Since 1996, in a private collection in Geneva. Thence with Christie’s London on 5 December 2018, lot 73. Subsequently, on the German art market.

Condition: Intact apart from the ancient restoration at the lower rear part of the garment, with a beautiful patina.

Description: Important and exceptionally rare solid bronze statue of a goddess from Luristan in northwestern Iran. She wears a long garment held by a finely detailed belt that reaches down to the ankles. The lower hem of the robe flares slightly outward. A pendant arrangement with five pendants hangs across her abdomen. The goddess is strikingly adorned. A necklace with large beads hangs around her neck. Her arms, placed beneath her breasts, each wear a set of bracelets. A tall, radiant diadem is set in her hair, which falls smoothly backwards. Particularly striking is the crescent moon framing her round, stylised breasts. The face, with its large circular eyes, corresponds to the iconography of Luristan. The nose is prominent, while the mouth is shaped into a friendly smile. The unusually large, fully three-dimensional statue was already highly valued in antiquity. This is evidenced by an ancient repair to the hem at the back. For comparison with the few known fully three-dimensional bronze statues from Luristan, see the warrior with a sword tucked into his belt and wearing a mantle, found in the region of Pusht-i-Kuh and published in: Pierre Amiet „Art of the Ancient Near East, New York 1980, p. 456, no. 644. Mounted on a heavy metal stand.