British Iron Age Coins, Ancient Coins, and Antiquities

Luristan, bronze cheek pieces (2) from a horse bit, 8th-7th century BC, left and right panels, 9cm x 9.5cm and 9cm x 9cm; openwork design, each with a horse walking on a ground line, with two of the legs connected by a twisted rope; the head is moulded in the round while the rest of the body is hollowed out behind, with a large opening and two loops above for attachment [2]. Very fine with smooth olive green patina £800-£1,000

from a Canadian collection

Cheek pieces developed in Iran and were especially popular in Luristan; some suggest they are funerary while others suggest that they were functional.