An ancient symbol of power and strength, this carved bull’s head votive was offered thousands of years ago at a shrine of some powerful deity, perhaps a god of nature and fertility. With a cache of related artifacts, it was discovered along the shores of Lake Van in Turkey. With simple, abstract lines, the artist has captured the essence of the animal, believed by the ancients to be the most suitable sacrifice to please the heavens. The intaglio carving depicts a seated idol, and may have created multiple images in soft clay or wax. A token of Western culture at its dawn, this splendid seal evokes a mysterious vanished world.