Master of the Animals Finial

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

The patina is red with spots of green. The surface has been cleaned aggressively, removing the green layers and exposing the underlying red oxide layer in most areas. The incised lines have been damaged by this process. The central pin is lost. As with the other Luristan finials, the irregular and fluid character of the design elements indicates direct work in the wax model. The wax would have been worked over a central cylindrical core, providing an open area for the tube or pin used to secure the finial to a support (see 2005.78.A-C). All of the “Master of Animals” finials are heavier and have thicker walls than the finials that depict only animals. The wall thickness of this finial varies from 2 to 4 mm. The incised decorations on the surface appear similar to those of the other “Master of Animals” finials, and it is likely that cold working was used on this one also, although the surface condition makes this difficult to determine. Henry Lie (submitted 2012)