Bull's Head Attachment from a Cauldron
8th century BCE
Description
This cauldron attachment is in the shape of a bull's head. It is characterized by a rectangular forelock with three tiers; each tier consists of six long locks ending in a scalloped curl. Each lock is subdivided into three curving strands. The uppermost tier, which starts between the horns and falls down the neck, has scallops on both ends. The hollow horns were created separately and added to the head; only stumps remain of the ears. The eyes and brows are rendered in relief, with softly modeled forms rising from deeply incised outlines. The mouth is essentially a groove, and the beginning of a dewlap seems to be indicated on the front of the neck. The bull's nostrils are flared, and raised veins run from the corners of the forelock, across the nose, and up to the eyes and nostrils. The lower edge of the head has a recessed collar for attachment to its vessel.
Dimensions
10 x 12 x 11 cm (3 15/16 x 4 3/4 x 4 5/16 in.)
Provenance
Grenville L. Winthrop, New York, NY, (by 1943), bequest; to Fogg Art Museum, 1943.
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