Rhyton in the form of a Zebu bull

Unknownca. 1000-800 B.C.

Details

Title: Rhyton in the form of a Zebu bull
Creator: Unknown
Date Created: ca. 1000-800 B.C.
Type: vessels
Rights: Gift of Grain Dealers Mutual Insurance Co.
External Link: http://www.imamuseum.org/mercury/load-artwork/356
Medium: earthenware
wall label: The Zebu is a bull native to the Indus Valley, in what is now India and Pakistan.ÿÿMany theriomorphic (animal-shaped) drinking vessels of this sort have been found in the Gilan province of northwestern Iran.ÿThe Elamite civilization spanned Mesopotamia, Persia and Babylonia, and there was constant contact between the civilizations.ÿThe rhyton may be related to the Persianÿcult of Mithras, whichÿinvolved the sacrifice of bulls as tribute to this sun god.ÿÿAccording to mythology, Mithras battled the Bull of Heaven, an embodiment of the natural world, and as a result of his victoryÿhuman civilizations were granted successful harvests.
period: Neo-Elamite Period
measurements: 9 1/2 x 12 1/2 in.
culture: Persian

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