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A Persian rhyton, or drinking vessel, dating to the fifth to fourth century B.C.E., has a base fashioned in the shape of a legendary beast that combines the face of a lion and the wings of a bird with the thick-maned body of a horse. Originally modeled so that it rested on its forelegs, the creature has a small hole in the lower front portion of its body, from which wine could be poured into a cup or glass.