Description:

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 2nd century CE. A fabulous bronze protome in the form of a bull head depicted in a naturalistic yet elegant fashion with rippling folds of flesh along the thick neck, sizeable bovine eyes, a narrow snout, petaloid ears, and projecting horns. A raised crest vertically divides the top of the head, while an annular drill hole perforates the end of the snout for attachment. The bull is one of the animals associated with the late Hellenistic and Roman cult of Mithras, in which the killing of the astral bull, the "tauroctony," was of primary importance and was virtually as significant as the Crucifixion to the later Christians. Size: 1.8" W x 2.2" H (4.6 cm x 5.6 cm); 3.6" H (9.1 cm) on included custom stand.

The bull was considered a deeply divine animal throughout antiquity - a meaningful symbol of the moon, fertility, rebirth, and power. We find the earliest depictions of bulls in Paleolithic cave paintings. Moreover, the veneration of the bull in Anatolia would influence several religious cults in antiquity: from the Minoan practice of bull-jumping in Crete, to the fervent worship of the Apis bull in Egypt, to the sacrificial practices of Roman Mithraism.

Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#175394

  • Condition: Losses to tips of horns and right ear. Expected surface wear as shown. Otherwise, very nice with liberal remaining detail and heavy patina throughout.

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November 17, 2022 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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