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Recumbent bull with a jar on its back
Near Eastern, Mesopotamian, Sumerian
Jemdet Nasr Period
3100–2900 B.C.
Medium/Technique
Limestone
Dimensions
height x width x diameter: 4.8 x 3.8 x 3 cm (1 7/8 x 1 1/2 x 1 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Morris and Louise Rosenthal Fund and William S. Smith Fund
Accession Number1993.7
CollectionsAncient Egypt, Nubia and the Near East
ClassificationsVessels
DescriptionRecumbent bull with a jar on its back. The object pairs the bull, symbol of fertility of the herds, with a container of grain. Many such objects are known; they were perhaps left as offerings to the gods, either in thanks for a bountiful harvest or in hope of continued prosperity.
ProvenanceBy 1992, Noele and Ronald Mele Ancient Works of Art, New York [see note 1]; 1993, sold Mele Ancient Works of Art to the MFA. (Accession Date: January 27, 1993)
NOTES:
[1] Lent to the MFA on August 14, 1992.
NOTES:
[1] Lent to the MFA on August 14, 1992.