Description:

Roman, early Imperial period, ca. 1st to 2nd century CE. A mold-made hollow pottery bull, created as a votive figure for worship. The figure focuses on a simple shape to create the bull's body, with the ears and horns given the most detail. The figure was once brightly colored, but most of the original pigment is gone. Bulls played an important role in Roman religious practice: as sacrifices for the good of the state in the taurobolium, as part of the Mithraic mysteries, and as a symbol of male virility. In the first century CE, the worship of the Egyptian bull god Apis also became part of the rich milieu of Roman paganism. A votive figure like this one could be bought by worshippers outside a temple and given as an offering or kept in a household shrine. Size: 6.9" L x 3.25" W x 6" H (17.5 cm x 8.3 cm x 15.2 cm)

Provenance: private New Jersey USA collection, acquired over twenty years ago

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#121332

  • Condition: Piece has been repaired from multiple large pieces, with a small area of restoration on one lower side.

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April 12, 2017 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000