Ancient Near East, northwestern Iran, Luristan, ca. 1000 to 600 BCE. A cast-bronze whetstone finial handle depicting a graceful ibex in a leaping motion. The animal has a slender body with both front legs tucked underneath, an elongated neck, and a stylized head replete with almond eyes, a rounded snout, a short beard, and a pair of high-arching horns. The original bar-shaped whetstone still resides in the housing, with smooth edges and abraded sides indicative of heavy use. The handle is enveloped in a lustrous green and brown patina, making this a fabulous example from the ancient Near East! Size: 7.2" L x 2" H (18.3 cm x 5.1 cm).
Ordinary soldiers and people who would carry a knife to use as a weapon would carry a whetstone to sharpen the knife. However, an elite member of the community would have a special finial or handle like this example fitted to the whetstone. The ibex was an astronomical symbol of great importance from the earliest Near Eastern civilizations; some have suggested that it was at one time more important in Near Eastern iconography than the bull. What's more, some scholars have theorized that the animals depicted on Luristan weaponry were believed to possess apotropaic properties and could bestow their power on the objects they were sharpening.
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Arte Primitivo Gallery, New York, New York, USA
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#137796
Condition
Repair to whetstone near base of bronze handle with small chips and light adhesive residue along break line. Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age and use, slight bending to horns, fading to some finer details, and light roughness across most surfaces. Light earthen deposits throughout, and nice green and brown patina along handle.