Animal-shaped vessel

Vessel in the shape of a bull, with a bulbous body and narrow waist, tubular opening in the center of the back connected to a short handle, and a smaller opening on the chest for pouring. Modern restoration of all four legs, horns, and part of rim.

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Historical period(s)
Parthian period, ca. 160 BCE-224 CE
Medium
Buff clay, with some gritty inclusions surface originally burnished
Dimensions
H x W x D: 23 x 29.2 x 12.3 cm (9 1/16 x 11 1/2 x 4 13/16 in)
Geography
Northwest Iran
Credit Line
Gift of Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1987.95
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Zoomorphic vessel

Keywords
bull, Iran, Parthian period (247 BCE - 224 CE)
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

Vessel in the shape of a bull, with a bulbous body and narrow waist, tubular opening in the center of the back connected to a short handle, and a smaller opening on the chest for pouring. Modern restoration of all four legs, horns, and part of rim.

Label

Animal-shaped vessels, often provided with a pouring spout, are among the most characteristic and long-lived creations of ancient Iranian artisans.  With their lustrous gray or copper-colored surfaces, they were probably made to imitate costlier metal vessels.

Published References
  • Ann C. Gunter. The Art of Eating and Drinking in Ancient Iran. vol. 1, no. 2 New York. p. 12, fig. 4.
  • Ann C. Gunter. Ancient Iranian Drinking Vessles. vol. 18, no. 9 Hong Kong, September 1987. p. 39, fig. 2.
  • Trudy S. Kawami. Ancient Iranian Ceramics from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections. New York, 1992. cat. 161, p. 225.
Collection Area(s)
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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