The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 25, 2024

Head of a Bull

Head of a Bull

3000–2000 BCE
Overall: 3.1 x 2.9 x 4.3 cm (1 1/4 x 1 1/8 x 1 11/16 in.)

Did You Know?

This object is made of quartz, which is used to make electronics today.

Description

This bull head is carved in a banded stone. The sculptor has ingeniously planned the work so that the veins of the stone enhance the anatomy of the head. Inlays of stone, ivory, or gold (now missing) were set into the eyes and horn sockets. The other holes were used to attach the head to a body of a different material.
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, “Museum Acquires Major Chuck Close Painting, 19th-century Fire Screen, Rare Prints & Drawings,” June 9, 1997, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
    Del Bufalo, Dario. Precious portraits: small precious stone sculptures of Imperial Rome. 2020. Reproduced: p. 154, no. 498
  • {{cite web|title=Head of a Bull|url=false|author=|year=3000–2000 BCE|access-date=25 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1997.51