Zoomorphic vessel (bull)
Zoomorphic vessel (bull)
Date1350-1000 BCE
Mediumceramic
Dimensionsobject: 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm)
ClassificationCERAMICS
Credit LineSBMA, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leon O. Wolcott
Object number1972.60.1
Subject(s)
- animal
- bull
Collection
- Antiquity
Sub-Collection(s)
- Iranian
- Middle Eastern
On View
Not on viewCollections
Label TextThe ceramic wares recovered from sites such as Marlik Tepe and Khurvin, on the northern Iranian plateau, form a highly distinctive group. Unlike the earlier painted pottery from this region, these wares are monochrome (red, grey, or buff) and frequently burnished (polished). Their dynamic and crisply articulated shapes recall those of metal vessels, and it is possible that they were intended to be ceramic imitations. These wares also exhibit a fascinating tendency toward figuration, including the application of faces as well as the use of zoomorphic shapes. This bull-shaped vessel, with its deft negotiation of form and function, exemplifies the best of this work.
