Artwork Page for Bull Head Attachment

Details / Information for Bull Head Attachment

Bull Head Attachment

c. 700–600 BCE

Urartian, northwest Iran, possibly Gusçi, Lake Urmia

Medium
bronze
Measurements
Overall: 16.6 cm (6 9/16 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1942.204
Public Domain
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Location
102A Ancient Near East
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Did You Know?

Bulls were symbols of power and fertility in many ancient cultures. This bronze bull's head was made in the kingdom of Urartu, which was located in what is Iran today, and was likely attached to the rim of a giant cauldron or cooking pot.

Description

The kingdom of Urartu was contemporary with the Assyrian civilization. The Urartians produced elaborate bronze objects and probably passed on many of their metalwork traditions to the Achaemenian Persians. This bull head was probably one of four placed at cardinal points around the rim of a huge Urartian bronze cauldron.
A bronze sculpture depicts a bull's head angled slightly right. Stylized coils of hair form a rectangular patch between prominent, raised eyes. Decorative bands wrap the horn bases; the left horn is broken, while the right curves upward. The dark, weathered surface shows mottled greenish oxidation on the muzzle. Below, the neck is fragmented, revealing a jagged, rough edge where it was detached. A glint of light catches the smooth, rounded muzzle.

Bull Head Attachment

c. 700–600 BCE

Urartian, northwest Iran, possibly Gusçi, Lake Urmia

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