Go back 3,500 years to the heart of ancient Iran, as a powerful Elamite warrior king prepares for a battle. His wonderful piece of equipment is not just functional, but a masterpiece. A ‘bronze helmet decorated with gold-plated deities and covered by a fierce, protective raptor.' This extraordinary object, now located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, provides a rare insight into the sophisticated Elamite civilization. This culture flourished centuries before the Persian Empire came to be, displaying outstanding skills and deep faith. The armour helmet, with its exquisite detail and powerful symbolism, reveals the high status and religious affiliations of the warrior who wore it, and also offers a link to a rich and royal past.
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