Arms and Grips
Arm Fragment (100 BC - AD 100)
The original statue from which this arm came from was probably dressed in a Parthian tunic and trouser suit. Fragments of bronze statue similar to this were found in a shrine at Shami near Izeh/Malamir in Khuzestan in the 1930s. The shrine seems to have been in use from the period after Alexander's conquest and into Parthian times.
Vase Handle (100 BC - AD 100)
Elongated cat-like animals, real or imagined, are a distinctive feature of Parthian art. This solid-cast handle is in the form of a Persian lynx (caracal cat) with outstretched legs. The undersides of the feet are flat, indicating that this handle was probably fixed to the side of a large two-handled vase.
Animal-headed Rhytons (200 BC - AD 100)
Horn-shaped drinking vessels made of precious metals were used at banquets. These high-status items, known as rhytons, end with animal heads and are similar to those found in the earlier Achaemenid period. One rhyton finishes in the form of a galloping horse, with a top-knot and a breast-band. The other example ends with the foreparts of a roaring lion, its legs outstretched. The back of the lion is shown in low relief at the bottom of the horn. This naturalistic style is reminiscent of Hellenistic art.
[V&A]
Epic Iran
(May - September 2021)
Epic Iran explores 5,000 years of Iranian art, design and culture, bringing together over 300 objects from ancient, Islamic and contemporary Iran.
Iran was home to one of the great historic civilisations, yet its monumental artistic achievements remain unknown to many. Epic Iran explores this civilisation and the country's journey into the 21st century, from the earliest known writing – signalling the beginning of history in Iran – through to the 1979 Revolution and beyond. Ranging from sculpture, ceramics and carpets, to textiles, photography and film, the works in this exhibition reflect the country's vibrant historic culture, architectural splendours, the abundance of myth, poetry and tradition that have been central to Iranian identity for millennia, and the evolving, self-renewing culture evident today.
[V&A]
Taken in the V&A
Arms and Grips
Arm Fragment (100 BC - AD 100)
The original statue from which this arm came from was probably dressed in a Parthian tunic and trouser suit. Fragments of bronze statue similar to this were found in a shrine at Shami near Izeh/Malamir in Khuzestan in the 1930s. The shrine seems to have been in use from the period after Alexander's conquest and into Parthian times.
Vase Handle (100 BC - AD 100)
Elongated cat-like animals, real or imagined, are a distinctive feature of Parthian art. This solid-cast handle is in the form of a Persian lynx (caracal cat) with outstretched legs. The undersides of the feet are flat, indicating that this handle was probably fixed to the side of a large two-handled vase.
Animal-headed Rhytons (200 BC - AD 100)
Horn-shaped drinking vessels made of precious metals were used at banquets. These high-status items, known as rhytons, end with animal heads and are similar to those found in the earlier Achaemenid period. One rhyton finishes in the form of a galloping horse, with a top-knot and a breast-band. The other example ends with the foreparts of a roaring lion, its legs outstretched. The back of the lion is shown in low relief at the bottom of the horn. This naturalistic style is reminiscent of Hellenistic art.
[V&A]
Epic Iran
(May - September 2021)
Epic Iran explores 5,000 years of Iranian art, design and culture, bringing together over 300 objects from ancient, Islamic and contemporary Iran.
Iran was home to one of the great historic civilisations, yet its monumental artistic achievements remain unknown to many. Epic Iran explores this civilisation and the country's journey into the 21st century, from the earliest known writing – signalling the beginning of history in Iran – through to the 1979 Revolution and beyond. Ranging from sculpture, ceramics and carpets, to textiles, photography and film, the works in this exhibition reflect the country's vibrant historic culture, architectural splendours, the abundance of myth, poetry and tradition that have been central to Iranian identity for millennia, and the evolving, self-renewing culture evident today.
[V&A]
Taken in the V&A