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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1992.256.123
Title
Claw
Classification
Riding Equipment
Work Type
ornament
Date
9th-4th century BCE
Places
Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Asia?
Period
Iron Age
Culture
Near Eastern
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/304635

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Bronze
Technique
Cast, lost-wax process
Dimensions
0.9 x 6 x 3 cm (3/8 x 2 3/8 x 1 3/16 in.)
Technical Details

Chemical Composition: ICP-MS/AAA data from sample, Bronze:
Cu, 84.04; Sn, 15.83; Pb, 0.07; Zn, 0.006; Fe, less than 0.01; Ni, 0.01; Ag, 0.03; Sb, less than 0.05; As, less than 0.10; Bi, less than 0.025; Co, 0.01; Au, less than 0.01; Cd, less than 0.001
J. Riederer

Chemical Composition: XRF data from Tracer
Alloy: Bronze
Alloying Elements: copper, tin
Other Elements: lead, iron
K. Eremin, January 2014

Technical Observations: The object is a solid cast in one piece using the lost-wax technique. The hole was formed in the wax model before casting. The object exhibits significant wear and features a greenish-gray patina. A few scrapes expose the metal below, which has no signs of deep-seated corrosion.


Francesca G. Bewer (submitted 2012)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Louise M. and George E. Bates, Camden, ME (by 1971-1992), gift; to the Harvard University Art Museums, 1992.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Louise M. and George E. Bates
Accession Year
1992
Object Number
1992.256.123
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Published Catalogue Text: Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Bronzes at the Harvard Art Museums
Pierced perpendicular to its length below a slightly bulbous top, this cast claw or fang tapers as it curls to a rounded tip. Natural and replica ornaments in the shape of claws are represented across various cultures and periods. This piece may have been used in a variety of decorative or symbolic contexts. It can be compared to the perforated bronze claw at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (1), and two bronze claws at the Metropolitan Museum, New York (2), which are described as harness or bridle fittings (3).

NOTES:

1. Inv. no. 1982.241, described as Scythian or Median and dated to the seventh to sixth centuries BCE.

2. Inv. nos. 56.81.54-55, described as Achaemenid and dated to the sixth to fourth centuries BCE.

3. See the group of 73 harness ornaments, two of which are in the shape of claws, in H. Mahboubian, Art of Ancient Iran: Copper and Bronze (London, 1997) 120-21, no. 98, described as Luristan and dated to the ninth to seventh centuries BCE.


Amy Gansell and Lisa M. Anderson

Subjects and Contexts

  • Ancient Bronzes

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