Aryballos in the Form of a Bull's Head (3/4 left front from above)

The head of a bull forms the body of this Mycenaean aryballos (a small vessel with a narrow neck). The ears, nostrils, horns, and even the eyes are carefully modeled and highlighted with a reddish-brown paint. The wavy lines above the nose probably represent wrinkles, and the shorter lines covering the rest of face are meant to depict the bull’s hair. In addition to normal anatomical markings, the cheeks are decorated by scrolls that descend from the forehead, the underside of the vessel is covered with a grid of double lines, and the sides are marked by framed panels of zigzag lines. Now broken, the back of the vase originally had a narrow, spouted neck and a handle that ran from the body to the mouth. Liquid would have been poured from the bottle through this opening.

Bulls were an especially popular shape for Mycenaean plastic vases—vessels in the form of a human, animal, or mythological being. They played an important role in Mycenaean culture and religion, regarded as symbols of wealth and status, as well as fertility and strength. As with later versions of the form, plastic vases were adapted for specialized uses. This type of container would probably have held scented oil. Olive oil in particular was treated with aromatic plants such as rose, sage, coriander, and pomegranate. Since this was a valuable luxury item in the Mediterranean, it was usually stored in bottles with narrow necks that could control the flow of the liquid. Such oil often played a role in religious activities—most commonly as an offering to a deity, but also for libations and anointing objects.