Ancient Urartian Iron Age III Bronze Belt - Complete

Ancient Near East, modern day Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey, Urartu, Urartian, Iron Age III, ca. 7th century BCE. It is incredibly rare to find a complete Urartian belt. This example, made from hammered bronze and decorated in chased low relief/repousse with a central band of repeated curvilinear medallion or shield-like forms - each one framing an otherworldly winged creature or a floral blossom - as well as several animal forms (perhaps horses, gazelles, or ibexes) positioned above and below the medallions. Surrounding this central register are narrow bands comprised of double striations bordering repeated concentric circles. Finally, the belt is punched with regularly spaced perforations that line the upper and lower edges. Size: 47.25" L x 13" in diameter x 4" H (120 cm x 33 cm x 10.2 cm); 9.125" H (23.2 cm) on included custom stand.

The civilization of Urartu was one of several states that arose following the destruction of the Hittite state in approximately 1200 BCE. Others included Tabal, Phrygia, and Lydia - each one possessed its own distinct language, religion, ethnicity, and visual culture. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art Heilbrunn essay, "In their inscriptions, the Assyrians of Mesopotamia refer to the Urartians as their northern enemies from the eleventh to the seventh centuries B.C. However, the earliest known Urartian written document, a rock inscription at Van (ancient Tushpa), records the earliest reference to the state. There it says that Urartu was ruled by a king named Sarduri (r. ca. 840–830 B.C.), and mentions a male deity, Haldi, the supreme god throughout Urartian history."

An Urartian bronze belt of a similar size and presenting a very similar decorative/iconographic program sold for 8,750 GBP ($11,733) at Christie's London, Sale 1561, Antiquities, October 1, 2014 - Lot 146. (https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/an-urartian-bronze-belt-circa-8th-7th-century-5826732-details.aspx)

Provenance: ex-Davis collection, Houston, Texas, acquired before 2013 from various auction houses in London and New York

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#132966
Condition Report: Three small fissures at upper and lower edges - each one about 1" long or less. Normal denting and surface wear commensurate with age, though most of the decorative/iconographic motifs are still visible. Rich green and russet patina graces the surface, leaving a warm finish attained over the ages.