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Identification and Creation

Object Number
2022.245
Title
Goat Finial
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
statuette, sculpture
Date
9th century BCE
Places
Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Asia, Luristan (Iran)
Period
Iron Age
Culture
Iranian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/369983

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Bronze
Technique
Cast, lost-wax process
Dimensions
9.3 × 4.8 × 1.5 cm (3 11/16 × 1 7/8 × 9/16 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
[Charles D. Kelekian, New York (by 1952-1982)], by descent; to [Kelekian Associates, New York (1982-1992)], by descent; to Nanette Rodney Kelekian, New York (1992-2021), bequest; to the Harvard Art Museums.

NOTE:
"Kelekian Associates" was formed at the death of Charles D. Kelekian by Nanette Rodney Kelekian and her mother Beatrice Kelekian. Upon Beatrice Kelekian’s death in 1992, ownership passed to Nanette Rodney Kelekian.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Nanette B. Kelekian
Accession Year
2022
Object Number
2022.245
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Description
Representations of rampant, confronted goats or ibexes are frequent among the so-called finials from Iron Age Luristan in western Iran. The function of the objects of which these finials formed part remains enigmatic, but likely was largely symbolic. A vertical support would have been inserted through the two rings that join the animal’s front and back legs (here, the diameter of the opening at the base is 0.8 cm). It has been suggested that this could have been a small branch, creating the overall image of animals flanking a tree so common in the art of the ancient Middle East.

The goats have relatively short horns with a single protuberance each, long pointed ears, large eyes, beards, and stubby tails. Their slender bodies are barely articulated, and their hind legs are not separated. It has been proposed that these simplified but fairly naturalistically rendered animals are of an earlier date than the highly stylized creatures of finals such as 1931.5. The smooth, rounded forms suggest that the different elements of the finial were modeled in wax, joined, and then invested in a clay mold and cast in bronze. The patina is dark brown with patches of darker and lighter green and a few spots of red corrosion underneath; light brown accretions cover part of the surface.

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu