H x W x D: 22.2 x 13.6 x 35 cm (8 3/4 x 5 3/8 x 13 3/4 in)
Type:
Vessel
Origin:
Northwest Iran
Date:
ca. 1400-800 BCE
Period:
Iron Age I - II
Label:
One of the most characteristic ceramic forms of the early Iron Age period (ca. 1400–800 B.C.E.) in northern Iran is a hollow vessel fashioned in the shape of an animal. This vessel in the form of a humped bull, or zebu, made of reddish brown clay, is equipped with crescent-shaped horns, ears, stubby legs, and a muzzle that projects as a beaklike spout. Ceramic vessels and small bronze figurines in the form of a zebu have been recovered from rich Iron Age tombs in northern Iran, indicating this animal's importance to the region.
Provenance:
To 1966
Galerie Israel, Tel Aviv, to 1966 [1]
From 1966 to 1995
Frank and Joan Mount, Alexandria, VA, purchased from Galerie Israel in 1966
From 1995
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, given by Frank and Joan Mount in 1995
Notes:
[1] According to Provenance Remark 1 in the object record.
Collection:
National Museum of Asian Art Collection
Exhibition History:
Metalwork and Ceramics from Ancient Iran (November 19, 1992 to January 22, 2004)
