Smiling enigmatically, with a bold, forthright stare, this limestone bull with a human head was probably one of a pair guarding a temple entrance. Even today the eyes (made of ivory pieces held in place by bitumen) have an immediate impact, but how much more impressive they must have been in their original condition—set with precious stones for irises where now there are merely holes. Every aspect of the 17-inch figurine—the stylized horns, the turn of the head, the way the legs are folded along the front of the body—suggests that it was meant to be viewed head-on. The […]
