Mace,19th century
Iranian
The ox-headed mace is associated with the heroes of theShahnama(Book of Kings), the poet Firdausis epic of pre-Islamic Iran completed in a.d. 1010. The mace reproduces the hero Bahram Gurs weapon made in memory of the cow that nursed him. An emblem of power and good, it was inherited by other heroes in the epic, notably Feridun and Rustam. This example is representative of the Qajar revival of ancient Iranian imagery. It bears the false signature of a legendary smith, Haji 'Abbas, and the equally spurious date A.H. 951 (A.D. 154445).