A rare Sumerian Copper Pin with Lapis Snake Finial, ca. 3rd millennium BCE Medium - Iron has been described as "an

has been described as "an open loop of material from whose bound lower end hangs a long sash flanked by two folded loops"

private NYC collection

These works exemplified the era’s synthesis of geometry

The amethyst gemstone

the umbo (the protrusion at the top of the shell) is simply but powerfully carved in the form of a bird's head

A rare Sumerian Copper Pin with Lapis Snake Finial, ca. 3rd millennium BCE Medium - Iron has been described as "anA long copper pin with a blue green patina over a red brown oxide ground. The finial is carved from deep blue lapis lazuli and takes the form of a compact, stylized coiled snake with an enlarged head marked by simple incised lines. Pins of this type served as luxury dress or hair fasteners, with the carved finial functioning as a visible ornament that signaled personal status. The combination of a metal shaft and a hard stone finial is well documented