Bronze Zebu Bull Amulet, 2000 BCE - 1500 BCE
Bronze
0.625 x 1.125
FZ.211
One of the first creatures domesticated by man was the Zebu, the humpbacked ox native to the eastern world. A costly animal, it was considered a worthy sacrifice to the...
One of the first creatures domesticated by man was the Zebu, the humpbacked ox native to the eastern world. A costly animal, it was considered a worthy sacrifice to the gods. This small bronze votive may have been offered in place of the real animal to win the favors of the heavens. It depicts the Zebu reduced to its essence: horns, hump, tail. The human hopes and dreams it represents have not lost their magic with the passage of time.