Hittite Bronze Zebu Bull Votive Sculpture, 2000 BCE - 1500 BCE
Bronze
7.6 x 10.8 cm
3 x 4 1/4 in
3 x 4 1/4 in
FZ.213
Further images
Since the dawn of time, the bull has represented power, strength and nobility. This splendid votive, unusually large, depicts a Zebu, the hump-backed bull common to Asian regions. At the...
Since the dawn of time, the bull has represented power, strength and nobility. This splendid votive, unusually large, depicts a Zebu, the hump-backed bull common to Asian regions. At the height of the Hittite empire, it was offered as a gift to win the favor of the gods. A fierce warrior people, the Hittites worshiped deities for whom a bull was the ultimate sacrifice. As a tribute to masculine strength, it impresses us even today with its timeless aura of power.