Object Description
A finely cast Hasanlu bronze girdle-clasp, composed of two paralleled rectangular-shaped thin metal sheets connected by a curved, narrow loop. Each bronze sheet appears decorated with an incised geometric motif and terminates into a tapering point that turns back, greatly resembling Iron Age Luristan rat-tanged decorations at the ends of spearheads. Bronze pellets further embellish the sides of the bronze sheets, echoing the typical Hasanlu herringbone pattern.
Hansanlu is an important Iron Age archaeological site, located in present-day Iran, to which a wide range of finely executed bronze objects are attributed. Hansanlu and Luristan, were the most prosperous sites of Iron Age Iran, having been known for the excellent craftsmanship of their bronze works and for influencing each other with their distinctive aesthetic traditions. Bronze girdle-clasps, featuring geometric patterns and zoomorphic scenes, have been found extensively in Iranian burials of the Iron Age II- III. Despite multiple assumptions having been made regarding their functions, scholars tend to believe that these unique bronze objects might have been used by the Iron Age Iranian elites.
Date: Circa 9th-7th century BC
Period: Iron Age II- III