Artwork Page for Head of a Bull

Details / Information for Head of a Bull

Head of a Bull

3000–2000 BCE

Mesopotamia, Sumerian, Iraq, Tigris-Euphrates valley, Early Bronze Age I

(c. 3300–c. 3000 BCE)
Medium
chalcedony
Measurements
Overall: 3.1 x 2.9 x 4.3 cm (1 1/4 x 1 1/8 x 1 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Norman O. Stone and Ella A. Stone Memorial Fund 1997.51
Public Domain
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Location
102A Ancient Near East
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Did You Know?

This object is made of quartz, which is used to make electronics today.

Description

This bull head is carved in a banded stone. The sculptor has ingeniously planned the work so that the veins of the stone enhance the anatomy of the head. Inlays of stone, ivory, or gold (now missing) were set into the eyes and horn sockets. The other holes were used to attach the head to a body of a different material.
A sculpture depicts a bull's head carved from translucent blue chalcedony, a stone with swirling white bands and a polished, watery sheen. Facing our right, the head features a horizontal groove for a mouth at its tapered snout. Three circular holes are drilled into the thicker section to our left. The surface is scattered with small, weathered pits and light brown marks that contrast with the stone's smooth texture.

Head of a Bull

3000–2000 BCE

Mesopotamia, Sumerian, Iraq, Tigris-Euphrates valley, Early Bronze Age I (c. 3300–c. 3000 BCE)

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