Galerie Golconda

Pendant in bronze with ancient patina, depicting a whimsical bird. As copper and tin alloys, ancient bronzes contain between 6-10% of tin and fuse at a temperature of 1000-1100°C. The lost wax technique, hammering and punching were used for the finishing of this piece. Excellent state of preservation and traces of patina from excavation.
On the borders of the Mesopotamian plain, in the remote mountains of western Iran, a culture for which little is known developed. The people of this culture produced magnificent objects in bronze, indicative of evolved technical abilities. Since the 1960’s, excavations have revealed the two cities of Surkh Dum and Baba Jan, several funerary complexes and what are most likely sanctuaries. Due to difficulties in excavations, there is little knowledge surrounding this culture and its way of life. One sometimes finds iconographic codes similar to those of Mesopotamia and Babylonia with whom this culture must have had cultural ties and trade. Known as the « canonical bronzes », the most original objects are dated from 1150 to 750 A.D., however metalworking in Luristan is attested to have begun since the 3rd millennium B.C.