Collections

The Horniman collection of bronzes from Iran consists of twenty three objects in several categories including weapons; two bronze axe heads, and two bronze daggers, undated; horse-tack: including two bronze horse bits dated to the 1st millennium BC, and horse trappings, undated; an ornamental animal figure (perhaps representing a bull), undated; and jewellery: two pins, one with a ram's head, dated c. 1200 BC, four bracelets, and two necklets, un-dated. There are also several musical instruments in the collection: including crotal or pellet bells, cymbals and clapper bells.

Iranian culture has been characterised for 3000 years by a mixture of oasis style settlements, with nomadic peoples living in between, often in conflict situations. Luristan bronzes are interpreted as belonging to an elite group of warriors who ruled others who were nomadic. They express a high valuation given to the horse and weapons. There are two styles of Luristan bronzes - and earlier 'settled' style, and a later 'nomadic' style - it's the nomadic style that is represented in the Horniman collections.

One of the Horniman's most notable collections of nomadic material is a felt tent and furnishing from the Shah Sevan people of North-West Iran. It is referred to as an alachikhlalacig. The alachikh is like a flattened hemisphere in shape, about 7 metres in diameter and about 3 metres high. The framework consists of curved wooden struts which radiate to the ground from a central roof-wheel (the Shah Sevan tent is related to Central Asian yurts in its form - in effect a 'trellis' tent without trellis walls). The wheel and struts are held under powerful tension by a rope passing from the roof wheel to a large wooden hook anchored to the massive central wooden tent peg.

The degree of discolouration of the tent felts, which change from white to black with weather and usage, indicates the age of the tent, and so the social status and wealth of the occupants. A rich family will have more than one tent, and at a wedding several tents are used.

(This entry is an extract from Ken Teague’s book Nomads which gives many more details of Nomadic Iranian culture).

Musical collections from the Near and Middle East include an Arabian Peninsula bagpipe and a kamanche – or spike fiddle – from Shiraz, Iran. The instrument dates from the 1800’s and is built with three strings. Housed in the Horniman Music Gallery, the modern kamanche has four strings and is an important instrument in Persian classical music.