1991.249: Bull Head Protome from a Cauldron

Identification and Creation

Object Number

1991.249

Title

Bull Head Protome from a Cauldron

Classification

Vessels

Work Type

vessel

Date

7th-6th century BCE

Places

Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Asia, Anatolia

Period

Iron Age

Culture

Neo-Hittite ?

Persistent Link

https://hvrd.art/o/299937

Physical Descriptions

Medium

Bronze

Technique

Cast and hammered

Dimensions

12.1 x 23.2 cm (4 3/4 x 9 1/8 in.)

Technical Details

Chemical Composition: ICP-MS/AAA data from sample, Bronze:
Cu, 88.81; Sn, 10.61; Pb, 0.14; Zn, 0.005; Fe, 0.34; Ni, 0.01; Ag, 0.06; Sb, 0.03; As, less than 0.10; Bi, less than 0.025; Co, less than 0.005; Au, less than 0.01; Cd, less than 0.001
J. Riederer

Technical Observations: The patina is green, red, and brown; the heavily corroded surface includes crystalline cuprite. Some fill material and restoration paints are present. One fragment of the cauldron is preserved.

The bull protome was cast by the lost-wax process, and core material is still present inside the hollow cast. The cauldron was probably made by hammering sheet metal. Two rivets are present at the top corners of the protome, binding it to the cauldron fragment.


Carol Snow (submitted 2002)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line

Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Dr. Jonathan Kagan

Accession Year

1991

Object Number

1991.249

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Contact

am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu

Permissions

The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request.

Subjects and Contexts

• Ancient Bronzes

Verification Level