Bull Figurine on Base

6th century BCE or modern · Sculpture

May one see it?

Not receiving at present

Harvard Art Museums

Cambridge, United States

It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.

Checked: 2 days ago
In this state since: Sep 27, 2026
Source: The museum's own collection data

On the map Museum page

About the sculpture

A small, stocky bull stands squarely upon a thin rectangular base with which it was cast. Its barrel-shaped body is supported by front and hind legs whose upper muscular definition is stylized and marked with ridges at the front of the hindquarters and the back of the forequarters. A small tail hangs downward, curving inward slightly. The bull’s head extends horizontally forward. It is marked at the top by a raised ridge of hair, incised with cross-hatching. The stubs of both horns are visible, projecting outward above small tab-like ears. The muzzle extends vertically downward. A pronounced dewlap runs from under the chin to the top of the forelegs. The front hooves and right back hoof project forward and are marked by horizontal grooves below the shafts of the legs. The genitalia are prominent.

Read on

The rectangular base is missing its front edge. The back edge has been bent and curved upward. A perforation is visible in the break at the right rear corner of the base; a second perforation occurs behind the left front leg. The edge of a third perforation appears in the left edge of the break at the front of the base. Six round or oval pits mark the middle section of the base, extending to just in front of the left rear leg.

The surface of the bull itself appears uniformly shiny. It is unclear whether this is a result of drastic stripping of corrosion products from the surface followed by repatination, or if the object is a modern piece (see Technical Observations). Stylistically, it is consistent with other votive statuettes of bulls from the second half of the sixth century or the early fifth century BCE. Nevertheless, the possibility that this is a modern object cannot be ruled out.

David G. Mitten

Harvard Art Museums