Weiner Mihályné szerk.: Az Iparművészeti Múzeum Évkönyvei 7. (Budapest, 1964)

HOPP FERENC MÚZEUM — MUSÉE FERENC HOPP - Ferenczy, László: Bronzes of Luristan

LÁSZLÓ FERENCZY BRONZES OF LURISTAN The bronzes of Luristan have constantly attrected the interest of scholars since they first reached the antique dealers of Teheran and subsequently the museums and private collections as a result of the treasure-hunting campaigns led in the Northern Zagros ranges between 1928 and 1934. The increasing number of bronzes from Luristan presented at the international exhibitions of Iranian art reflect this interest. These bronzes were first displayed in London in 1931. At the 1956 exhibition of Rome 125 were presented and in 1961 the number shown in Paris already rose to 330. The growing number of publications on the Luristan bronzes of various museums and private collections is due to their characteristic style and importance in early Iranian art. In connection with recent excavations carried out in other areas of Iran they arouse our interest again and again. We may state that this will even increase in the future for recent excavations provide more and more data to clarify the role of Luristan in the rise of Achaemenian art. Shortly after thousands of objects became known in Europe and America, in 1931, A. Godard in his fundamental work reviewed the Luristan finds under the heading ,,Les Bronzes du Luristan", but he also treated ceramics, iron, etc.

1 Since the entire material was unearthed by treasure-seekers and scientific excavations could not be carried out in the area, the first publications treating the bronzes assigned them diverse dates, some as much as 2000 years apart. On the basis of certain characteristic features the finds were attributed to the most different peoples, such as the Sumerians, Kassites, Hittites, Kimmerians, Scythians and Medes. These numerous publications, though differing in dating the objects, have nevertheless revealed the chronological and ethnical relations of the bronzes of Luristan which range from some forms derived from Sumerian art to the early stage of Achaemenian art. Revealing the relations of the Luristan finds to the Talyche area in Transcaucasia and Mesopotamia, Godard attributed them to a warfaring, mounted people, the Kassites, who in the middle of the second millenium conquered even Babylon. He dates the end of Luristanian art to c. 600 B. C. Dussaud also supports such an early but extensive dating. He places the various objects between 2700 and 500 B.C.

2 1 Godard, A. : Les bronzes du Luristan. (Ars Asiatica XVII), Paris 1931. 2 Dussaud, R. : The Bronzes of Luristan, in Pope : Survey of Persian Art. Vol. I. 254-277. Oxford 1938.