Iran, Luristan / c. 700 BCE
Master of Animals Cheekpiece
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Master of Animals Cheekpiece as metalwork (Iran, Luristan · c. 700 BCE).
The Master of Animals may represent a god of nature or the hunt.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this metalwork as bronze, cast and incised.
The museum's collection notes: In this cast bronze cheekpiece, a horned male figure with sidelocks grabs two winged felines by their forelegs. Each feline tramples a rabbit beneath its feet. This design is an ancient Near Eastern motif known as the Master of Animals. Incised chevrons, lines, and crosses decorate the master and the winged felines. A ring penetrating the male figure’s torso provides a means of attachment for a metal horse bit, now missing, and a second cheekpiece, likely nearly identical. This work likely originates from Luristan, a region in northwestern Iran known for its metalworking and horse-breeding in the Iron Age.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtMaster of Animals CheekpieceOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.