Cheekpiece of a horse bridle in the form of a winged sphinx
Place of OriginIran
Dateprobably 1000-650 BCE
MaterialsBronze
DimensionsH. 6 5/8 in x W. 6 1/8 in x D. 1 in, H. 17.5 cm x W. 14.0 cm x D. 2.5 cm
Credit LineThe Avery Brundage Collection
Object numberB62B90
DepartmentWest Asian Art
ClassificationsMetal Arts
On View
On viewLocationGallery 7
More InformationThis winged sphinxlike creature is reminiscent of the human-headed winged bulls of ancient Assyria (approx. 800–600 BCE, which was located in what is today Iraq. Large Assyrian stone examples guarded palace doorways. The horned headdress (a mark of divinity) and the curls (a mark of the hero) are well-established motifs in the ancient West Asian world, dating back almost five thousand years. Whether the winged sphinx had the same meaning for the people of Luristan as it had for the Assyrians is not known.
Subject
- sphinx
- horse
approx. 800-700 BCE
approx. 800-700 BCE
approx. 800-700 BCE
approx. 800-700 BCE
approx. 800-700 BCE
perhaps 800-700 BCE
approx. 1900-1960
800-600 BCE or 1900-1960
approx. 800-700 BCE
approx. 800-700 BCE
approx. 800-700 BCE
800-500 BCE