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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1992.256.39
Title
Dog Pendant
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
statuette, sculpture
Date
10th-first half 7th century BCE
Places
Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World
Period
Iron Age II-III
Culture
Iranian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/310288

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Arsenical copper
Technique
Cast, lost-wax process
Dimensions
3.4 x 1.8 x 3.9 cm (1 5/16 x 11/16 x 1 9/16 in.)
Technical Details

Chemical Composition: ICP-MS/AAA data from sample, Arsenical Copper:
Cu, 96.59; Sn, 0.25; Pb, less than 0.025; Zn, 0.004; Fe, 0.01; Ni, 0.04; Ag, 0.01; Sb, 0.04; As, 3.3; Bi, less than 0.025; Co, less than 0.005; Au, less than 0.01; Cd, less than 0.001
J. Riederer

Chemical Composition: XRF data from Tracer
Alloy: Arsenical Copper
Alloying Elements: copper, arsenic
Other Elements: iron
K. Eremin, January 2014

Technical Observations: The pendant has a smooth brown patina with isolated areas of green and red corrosion. It is worn but largely intact. Some casting flaws are present, and the object may have been stripped during a previous treatment.

The dog was made by the lost-wax process. The round hole or tunnel that runs from one end to the other is not straight but takes a turn in the area of the neck. The irregularly shaped hole in the back of the neck has rounded edges, which suggest that it could be a casting flaw.


Carol Snow (submitted 2002)

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
1992.256.39
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
Large, rounded ears dominate the head of this small dog. The muzzle is conical, and no eyes are indicated. Viewed frontally, this figure is of the same form as 1992.256.34. The body, supported by short legs, is heavy and low to the ground. No tail is defined, but the upward curve of the rump may give the impression of one.

A hole, small in the front and expanding in diameter to c. 1 cm in the back, runs through the neck from the throat to the nape. The opening at the back of the neck is linked to the hollow body below through a very fine passage, which opens in a large hole at the rear of the figure. With this unusual hollow form, the pendant could have been strung through the entire body and neck, allowing it to be suspended levelly.

The long-domesticated dog served ancient cultures worldwide in hunting, warfare, security, and as a companion. Of the copper alloy pendants and figurines derived from Iran, examples in the form of dogs are abundant, although the corpus of excavated pieces is limited. Four dog figurines were found in a tomb at the site of Marlik in northwestern Iran, but these differ stylistically from the Harvard examples in their angular, elongated form and stiff stance (1). Dog figurines have been excavated from Iron Age III (800-750/700 BCE) contexts at the Luristan sanctuary site of Surkh-i Dum (2), which has been interpreted by excavators as having been a site dedicated to a female nature deity where hunters would have offered trinkets in hope or appreciation of success (3). In this context, canine figurines and pendants may represent hunting dogs. The Surkh-i Dum objects are close to the Harvard pieces stylistically, although those in the form of pendants are not pierced but have instead suspension loops. Despite this discrepancy in the method of suspension, which may have varied over time or from site to site, the available evidence favors the designation of the Harvard dog figurines as being from Luristan.

NOTES:

1. See E. O. Negahban, Marlik: The Complete Excavation Report, University Museum Monograph 87 (Philadelphia, 1996) 133, nos. 150 and 152, pl. 48.

2. See E. F. Schmidt, M. N. van Loon, and H. H. Curvers, The Holmes Expedition to Luristan (Chicago, 1989) 273-74, pls. 174 and 186-87

3. See Schmidt, van Loon, and Curvers 1989 (supra 2) 487-88.


Amy Gansell

Subjects and Contexts

  • Ancient Bronzes

Related Objects

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