Axel Shaft Cup
Unknown Artist
c. 800–700 BCE
Medium
bronze, cast
Dimensions
h. 7 cm · diam. 8.6 cm
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Charles W. Harkness Endowment Fund
Accession Number
1930.729
About this artwork
Luristan, on Iran's western frontier, and Markik and Amlash in the north were sites of flourishing civilizations. However, since Luristan left little in the way of written records, all that we know about it has been guessed from their works of art. One of the ancient centers of the horse-breeding industry, Luristan is best known for its bronze objects, many of them horse or chariot trappings. Luristan supplied the Assyrian Empire not only with horses but also the hardware associated with them.