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ClassificationsAncient Near Eastern Art

Whetstone Handle in the Form of a Leaping Ibex

AAT Object Form/FunctionTool Handles
AAT Object Form/FunctionWhetstones
Place CreatedLuristan, Iran, Asia
Date1000-800 BCE
Credit LineCarlos Collection of Ancient Art
Dimensions5 1/2 x 10 1/2 in. (14 x 26.7 cm)
Object number1984.018
Label TextSince bronze requires continual sharpening to maintain a useful edge, whetstones were an important piece of equipment used to hone the edges of daggers, swords, spears, arrows, and axes. Whetstone handles were often cast into zoomorphic representations of animals. The ibex was the most popular choice perhaps because of its most striking attribute-its sweeping curved horns. In almost all cases, these were curved into a convenient loop from which the whetstone was suspended.
Exhibition HistoryThe Beauty of Beasts, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, Tennessee, November 1, 1992 - April 15, 1993
MCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, May 11, 1993 - Spring 2001
MCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, September 2001 - February 12, 2018
Michael C. Carlos Museum Morgens West Foundation Galleries of Ancient Near Eastern Art, November 10, 2018 - Present
Published ReferencesMichael C. Carlos Museum Handbook (Atlanta: Michael C. Carlos Museum, 1996), 38.
ProvenancePurchased by Emory University Museum of Art and Archaeology from Charles Ede Ltd, London, England.
Status
On view
Collections
  • Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art