The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 15, 2021

Head of a Bull

3000-2000 BC

Sumerian, Iraq, Tigris-Euphrates valley, 3000-2000 BC

Chalcedony

Overall: 3.1 x 2.9 x 4.3 cm (1 1/4 x 1 1/8 x 1 11/16 in.)

Norman O. Stone and Ella A. Stone Memorial Fund 1997.51

Location

102A Ancient Near East

Fun Fact

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.

Citations
Cleveland Museum of Art, “Museum Acquires Major Chuck Close Painting, 19th-century Fire Screen, Rare Prints & Drawings,” June 9, 1997, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
Del Bufalo, Dario. Precious portraits: small precious stone sculptures of Imperial Rome. 2020. Reproduced: p. 154, no. 498
Source URL: https://web-collection-prod.clevelandart.org/art/1997.51