silver, metal, sculpture
silver
metal
ancient-mediterranean
sculpture
ceramic
Dimensions 6 1/4 x 3 3/4 in. (15.88 x 9.53 cm)
This silver beaker features a parade of stylized bulls encircled by decorative rosettes. These images are not mere decoration, but potent symbols embedded in a deep cultural narrative. Notice how these bulls, rendered with powerful musculature, evoke a sense of strength and fertility. The image of the bull, a recurring motif throughout history, can be traced from the Minoan frescoes of Knossos to the Mesopotamian depictions of the Apis bull. The bull embodies primal forces, a connection to nature, and the vital energy of life itself. And consider the rosettes, symbols of the sun and cosmic order. In ancient Mesopotamia, the rosette was associated with Ishtar, the goddess of love, fertility, and war. These symbols transcend time, evolving and adapting as they traverse different cultural landscapes. The beaker reminds us that images are never truly still, but rather, are constantly being reborn, carrying echoes of the past into the present.
Comments
The people of Marlik were a nomadic Indo-European tribe that once inhabited northwestern Iran. They left little evidence of their culture except for small portable objects buried with their dead. This silver beaker is decorated with stylized ibexes (wild mountain goats) that display the sensitive rendering of animal forms characteristic of ancient near eastern art. The design is worked in repouseé, a technique in which the metal is hammered from the back to create raised designs on the surface. In spite of strong patternization, the artist has captured a sense of the animal's grace, agility, and naturalistic musculature.
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