Description
BULL PROTOME Sumer, 3rd millennium B.C. Limestone; eyes in shell and bitumen (?) H. 9.5 cm Provenance Former European private collection, 1985 Christie's New York, June 9, 2009 Private collection, acquired on the American art market, New York, 2009 The head of the animal is characterized by large almond-shaped eyes, the lively gaze rendered by the shell interior and the pupil in black stone (bitumen?). The supra-orbital area area is marked by three deep curved and hollowed lines. The muzzle is wide and the nasal furrow is also defined by an engraved line and two small cavities. The presence of cavities for the attachment of the ears and horns, probably in another material. It was a composite work. It is probable that such images were a kind of substitute for sacrificial animals: their presence was considered a symbolic and perpetual offering to the deity. Head complete but reattached, some chips; minor restorations. For a similar type (in bronze) see Musée du Louvre, inv. AO2676. The bull : symbol of strength and fertility Among the Mesopotamians, from the first dynastic eras to the Neo-Babylonian period, the image of the bull is directly linked to those of the gods. The animal plays a central role in the oldest known religions of the Mediterranean and its borders. It was considered the visible agent of the invisible force that moves and fertilizes nature. For the Sumerians of the third millennium, Taurus was a queen constellation, that of GUD.AN.NA, which marked the spring equinox and the beginning of the new year. Taurus remained for a long time the symbol of spring and the rise of the Sun. A Sumerian limestone bullhead protome. Ca.3rd millenium B.C. The animal's head is characterized by large almond-shaped eyes, the intense look in shell and the pupil in a dark stone (bitumen?). The supraorbital area is marked by three deep curved and hollowed out lines. The muzzle is broad and the nasal groove is also defined by an engraved line and two small cavities. Presence of cavities for fixing in composite probably in another material of the ears and horns. It was a composite work. It is likely that such images were a kind of substitute for sacrificial animals: their presence was seen as a symbolic and perpetual dedication to the deity. Head complete but glued, some chips; small restorations. For a similar typology (in bronze) see Louvre Museum, inv. AO2676. The bull: symbol of strength and fertility Among the Mesopotamians, from the early dynastic eras to the Neo-Babylonian period, the image of the bull is directly related to those of the gods. The animal also plays a central role in the oldest known religions of the Mediterranean and its borders. He was considered the visible agent of the invisible force that moves and fertilizes nature. Taurus was for the Sumerians of the third millennium, a queen constellation, that of GUD.AN.NA, which marked the spring equinox and the start of the new year. Taurus has long been the symbol of spring and the ascension of the Sun.
5
BULL PROTOME Sumer, 3rd millennium B.C. Limestone; eyes in shell and bitumen (?) H. 9.5 cm Provenance Former European private collection, 1985 Christie's New York, June 9, 2009 Private collection, acquired on the American art market, New York, 2009 The head of the animal is characterized by large almond-shaped eyes, the lively gaze rendered by the shell interior and the pupil in black stone (bitumen?). The supra-orbital area area is marked by three deep curved and hollowed lines. The muzzle is wide and the nasal furrow is also defined by an engraved line and two small cavities. The presence of cavities for the attachment of the ears and horns, probably in another material. It was a composite work. It is probable that such images were a kind of substitute for sacrificial animals: their presence was considered a symbolic and perpetual offering to the deity. Head complete but reattached, some chips; minor restorations. For a similar type (in bronze) see Musée du Louvre, inv. AO2676. The bull : symbol of strength and fertility Among the Mesopotamians, from the first dynastic eras to the Neo-Babylonian period, the image of the bull is directly linked to those of the gods. The animal plays a central role in the oldest known religions of the Mediterranean and its borders. It was considered the visible agent of the invisible force that moves and fertilizes nature. For the Sumerians of the third millennium, Taurus was a queen constellation, that of GUD.AN.NA, which marked the spring equinox and the beginning of the new year. Taurus remained for a long time the symbol of spring and the rise of the Sun. A Sumerian limestone bullhead protome. Ca.3rd millenium B.C. The animal's head is characterized by large almond-shaped eyes, the intense look in shell and the pupil in a dark stone (bitumen?). The supraorbital area is marked by three deep curved and hollowed out lines. The muzzle is broad and the nasal groove is also defined by an engraved line and two small cavities. Presence of cavities for fixing in composite probably in another material of the ears and horns. It was a composite work. It is likely that such images were a kind of substitute for sacrificial animals: their presence was seen as a symbolic and perpetual dedication to the deity. Head complete but glued, some chips; small restorations. For a similar typology (in bronze) see Louvre Museum, inv. AO2676. The bull: symbol of strength and fertility Among the Mesopotamians, from the early dynastic eras to the Neo-Babylonian period, the image of the bull is directly related to those of the gods. The animal also plays a central role in the oldest known religions of the Mediterranean and its borders. He was considered the visible agent of the invisible force that moves and fertilizes nature. Taurus was for the Sumerians of the third millennium, a queen constellation, that of GUD.AN.NA, which marked the spring equinox and the start of the new year. Taurus has long been the symbol of spring and the ascension of the Sun.
