Spouted vessel in the form of a bull

Spouted Vessel in the form of a humped bull, or zebu. Shape is elongated with short, stubby legs, a large rounded behind and high rounded hump. A trough-like spout makes up the mouth and nose. The neck and humped shoulder rise up in a single broad, curving shape to a conical point behind the head whose muzzle is drawn out into a long beaklike spout. A pair of round, approximately crescentic, horns rise from the sides of the head. At the base of each horn is a pierced projection depicting an ear. A round ridge suggesting the dewlap runs from beneath the muzzle to between the forelegs, and a corresponding ridge suggesting the tail curves down the hindquarters. Surface is covered with dirt, deposits, stains and considerable restoration material. Earthenware, burnished.

Historical period(s)
Iron Age I - II, ca. 1400-800 BCE
Medium
Earthenware
Dimensions
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)
Geography
Northwest Iran
Credit Line
Gift of Joan and Frank Mount
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S1995.128
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Vessel

Keywords
bull, earthenware, Iran, Iron Age I (ca. 1450 - 1250 BCE), Iron Age II (ca. 1250 - 800 BCE)
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.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Frank and Joan Mount
Galerie Israel

Description

Spouted Vessel in the form of a humped bull, or zebu. Shape is elongated with short, stubby legs, a large rounded behind and high rounded hump. A trough-like spout makes up the mouth and nose. The neck and humped shoulder rise up in a single broad, curving shape to a conical point behind the head whose muzzle is drawn out into a long beaklike spout. A pair of round, approximately crescentic, horns rise from the sides of the head. At the base of each horn is a pierced projection depicting an ear. A round ridge suggesting the dewlap runs from beneath the muzzle to between the forelegs, and a corresponding ridge suggesting the tail curves down the hindquarters. Surface is covered with dirt, deposits, stains and considerable restoration material. Earthenware, burnished.

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. 

Published References
  • Ezat O. Negahban. Marlik: The Complete Excavation Repord. 2 vols., Philadelphia. .
  • , Robert H Dyson, Jr., Charles K. Wilkinson, Prudence Oliver Harper. Highlights of Persian Art. Persian Art Series, no. 1 Boulder. pp. 2-17.
  • Louise Allison Cort, Massumeh Farhad, Ann C. Gunter. Asian Traditions in Clay: The Hauge Gifts. Washington, 2000. p. 19, fig. 1.
  • Ann C. Gunter. A Collection of Ancient Iranian Ceramics. vol. XLIII no. 3, 1997. p. 29, fig. 13.
  • E. Haerinck. Bronzeworking Centres of Western Asia, c. 1000-539 B.C. London. pp. 63-78.
  • Thomas Lawton, Thomas W. Lentz. Beyond the Legacy: Anniversary Acquisitions for the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. vol. 1 Washington, 1998. p. 124, fig. 3.
  • Trudy S. Kawami. Ancient Iranian Ceramics from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections. New York, 1992. pp. 134-36.
  • Oscar W. Muscarella. Fibulae and Chronology, Marlik and Assur. vol. 11, no. 4, Winter 1984. pp. 413-19.
Collection Area(s)
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use