The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 5, 2024

Master of Animals Cheekpiece

Master of Animals Cheekpiece

c. 700 BCE
bronze, cast and incised
Overall: 14.9 x 21.3 cm (5 7/8 x 8 3/8 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1961.33
Location: 102A Ancient Near East

Did You Know?

The Master of Animals may represent a god of nature or the hunt.

Description

In this cast bronze cheekpiece, a horned male figure with sidelocks grabs two winged felines by their forelegs. Each feline tramples a rabbit beneath its feet. This design is an ancient Near Eastern motif known as the Master of Animals. Incised chevrons, lines, and crosses decorate the master and the winged felines. A ring penetrating the male figure’s torso provides a means of attachment for a metal horse bit, now missing, and a second cheekpiece, likely nearly identical. This work likely originates from Luristan, a region in northwestern Iran known for its metalworking and horse-breeding in the Iron Age.
  • Mrs. Christian R. Holmes
    Mozzaffar Cohen, Paris
    Mrs. Christian R. Holmes; Mozaffar Cohen, Paris
  • Ratti, Antonio. “The Mystery of the Luristan Bronzes Still Puzzles Archaeologists.” National Geographic. January 7, 2022. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/the-mystery-of-the-luristan-bronzes-still-puzzles-archaeologists. www.nationalgeographic.com
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 11 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 11 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 4 archive.org
    Kathman, Barbara A. A Cleveland Bestiary. Cleveland, OH; Cleveland Museum of Art, 1981. Reproduced: p. 19; Mentioned: p. 16, p. 60
  • Images of the Mind. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 7-August 30, 1987).
    A Cleveland Bestiary. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 15-December 16, 1981).
    Year in Review (1961). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 1-26, 1961).
  • {{cite web|title=Master of Animals Cheekpiece|url=false|author=|year=c. 700 BCE|access-date=05 May 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1961.33