Ornament

Mounted on bottle-shaped base, by a bronze tube. Probably supporting a pin-like emblem Resembles a mascot on a rein ring, decoration on a chariot pole. 2 rampant dragons bite ears of mythological her who presses their neck with both hands. Stylized body of animals are joined, girded by a triple belt. Hind quarters prominent. Tail hanging, curled between legs. Same relief on both faces

Legrain Publication: "bronze ornament, mascot - or idol - strongly stylized. A mythological hero stands between two dragons rampant which try to bite his long bull's ears. Same relief on both faces. The motive is borrowed from the contests of Gilgamesh and Ea-bani with wild animals. But the interpretation is new and proper to the Luristan border land. The bodies of the animals join and melt into the central shaft, where they are girded by a triple belt. They eave the hind quarters in prominent, exaggerated relief, almost dismembered, which shows that the proportions of the figures are second to their decorative value, despite an effective rhythm, and finely modelled details. This rule applies to many of the Luristan bronzes. THe legs are stiff, bent at an angle. The tails curl into a small ring between the feet. The claws are reduced to three lines on the necks, and perhaps a triple ring at the feet. An inner bronze tube driven through the central shaft of the mascot connected it with a bottle shaped bronze base. In some cases, a bronze pin driven into the tube from above reinforces the connection. The bottle-shaped bases have no bottom, and were perhaps mounted on a wooden shaft. These bronze ornaments buried at the head of the dead have been called idols with no good reasons. Their relation to horses and chariots is not clear. The lions, bulls and donkeys mascots on the rein rings of the Sumerian chariots is a distant parallel." [published as 30-31-1]