Possessed of a naive charm, this zoomorphic vessel may originally have contained an offering of oil. Though it dates from a period when Christianity was triumphant, its imagery evokes the glories of a pagan past. As a symbol of divine power and an object of sacrifice, the bull was prominent in rites of worship for thousands of years. This superb little vessel may reflect the transition between the Classical world and the Christian era, the votive gift of someone only newly converted. Whatever its history, there is no denying the appeal its abstract form has for contemporary tastes.