Late Bronze Age III

Bronze Figural Stand

Bronze four-sided stand with figural decoration on each panel; the frame is formed of cast bronze rods, standing on four feet with flat legs; on top is a composite ring consisting of a wavy band between two parallel rods; the four panels are decorated with the figures cast separately in open moulds; all the constituent parts of the stand are hard soldered together; the four figural scenes depict a more or less identical male figure facing a highly stylised tree with voluted leaves; he wears a long, kilt-like garment extending to the ankles but is naked from the waist up; the facial features are fleshy with a prominent nose; his hair (or wig) falls to the nape of the neck; each scene shows a different gesture: approaching the tree with an oxhide ingot over shoulder; holding fish-like objects in lowered hands; carrying a long, scarf-like indeterminate object over his right shoulder, one end of which trails on the ground; seated playing a large, many-stringed lyre supported with a strap around his neck, apparently serenading the tree (possibly a sacred image of fertility). Dimensions: Diameter: 8.50 centimetres ring ; Height: 12.50 centimetres; Width: 9.50 centimetres Object Type: stand Techniques: cast; soldered