Weiner Mihályné szerk.: Az Iparművészeti Múzeum Évkönyvei 7. (Budapest, 1964)
HOPP FERENC MÚZEUM — MUSÉE FERENC HOPP - Ferenczy, László: Bronzes of Luristan
with iron inlays. Similarly in Luristan, at the beginning of the Iron Age: the sockets of the halberds were often made of bronze but the blades were of iron. The square belt buckles from the Caucasus should be mentioned as parallels to the horse-shaped pin-heads. These are of later origin but we quite frequently find on them horses represented with a big body and small head, and with similar harness straps. 17 By identifying Nisaia — famous for their beautiful horses according to Herodotus — as Nisaya in the inscription of Darius, 18 Minorsky was inspired to trace the bronzes of Luristan to the Medeans. Here the Persian kings bred their horses and long before them this area was probably an important centre for horse-breeding. This kneeling horse-figurine with its definite lines and impression of massiveness reminds us of similar horse representations, such as the animals on one of the seals from the ,,B" cemetery of Sialk, 19 a Scythian-type ibex figure from the 9th —8th centuries found not long ago in Amlach, 20 certain objects from the treasure of Sakkez and the beautiful ibex and bull representations from the Achaemenid period. 21 Finally the similarly presented animals appear as structural elements in the architecture of the Archaemenid period. An other small bronze pin-head from Luristan is also held by the Museum. Its stem was once made of iron (Fig. 2). The body of an insect is represented in relief on the wing-shaped flat base. In my opinion it is a cicada most probably. Because of its stylization it differs from the actual form and, as we know, not every piece was modelled after an original. Under the body of the insect there are three double, horizontal ribs followed on the side by a little ring. The length of the pin is 5,5 cm. Cicada representations unearthed in China, Southern Russia and Hungary, which date to the period of the great migrations, differ from those of the Museum. Therefore they will not be treated here. Cicadashaped jewelry was popular in ancient Greece, especially during the Persian wars. According to ancient sources Greek women stuck cicada-shaped gold pins in their buns and cicada-shaped ornaments were worn on the forehead and represented on hilts too. The pin Godard publishes is nearly quite similar to our object, but it does not have feelers curving backwards. 22 The head of another pin which he also treats differs more. 23 Godard classes them both as representations of birds. In case of the latter this is possible, but unlikely for the former. Regarding the object published here, the various parts of the insect's body are so distinctly made that we cannot imagine it to be a bird. One of the bearded male figurines from Luristan has a head ornament 24 similar to the latter pin head. 17 Hancar, F. : Einige Gürtelschliesseii aus dem Kaukasus. ESA, VI. 1931. pp. 146 — 158, Abb. 3.; Zur Deutung einer urgeschichtlichen kaukasischen Ku|istform. IPEK, 15. 1941. pp. 63 — 75. T. 31/3. ; Ross und Reiter im vorgeschichtlichen Kaukasus. IPEK, 1935. pp. 49 — 75, T. 13/5. 18 Minorsky, V. : op. cit. p. 221. 19 Ghirshman, R. : Fouilles de Sialk, II. Pl. 30/7. 20 Ghirshman, R. : Sept mille ans d'art en Iran, Pl. XV/156. 21 Ghirshman, R. : Op. cit. Pl. 71, 72, 66. 22 Godard, A.: Les bronzes du Luristan, 1931. Pl. XXXIII/119. 23 Godard, A. : Op. cit. Pl. XXXII/125. 24 Godard, A. : Op. cit. Pl. LVI/205.
