8th century B.C. A hammered discoid shield raised from a single copper-alloy sheet, displaying a central conoid boss surrounded by five concentric stepped tiers; two pairs of circular piercings to the perimeter; apanied by a custom-made display stand. Cf. Christie's, The Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armour, part 1, London, 2002, p.22, no.16; Overlaet, B., ‘The chronology of the Iron Age in the Pusht-I Kuh, Luristan’ in Iranica Antiqua, vol.XL, 2005, pl.13, no.14, for the recent find of a similar shield; Ayazi, S., Disc-Headed Bronze Pins from Luristan: A Symbol of Ancient Iran’s Past, Tübingen, 2008; Moshtagh Khorasani, M., ‘Bronze and iron weapons from Luristan’ in Antiguo Oriente: Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Historia del Antiguo Oriente, 7, 2009, pp.185-216, for discussion on the production of such weapons; a similar round bronze shield - datable to the 8th century B.C., was part of the famous Axel Guttmann collection. 1.35 kg total, 54.5 cm high including stand (21 1/2 in.). UK private collection before 2000. UK art market. Property of a London gentleman. Apanied by an academic report by military specialist Dr. Raffaele D'Amato. These kind of shields, of small dimensions, were used by infantry or horse-archers of Luristan and neighbouring cultures (Elamites, Zagros Tribesmen, like Hurrians, Lullubians, Kutians, and Kassites, Assyrians), as well as by Urartu, West-Iranian and Northern Caucasian civilizations around the Caspian Sea. The rich and noble aristocrats of the Luristan, Elamites, Hurrians, Lullubians, Kutians, and Cassites, went to battle splendidly equipped and used magnificent defensive equipment made from bronze. [No Reserve]