Ancient Near East, Syro-Hittite, Bronze Age, ca. 2nd millennium BCE. Wow! A rare example of a wheeled "toy" bull, with a long, hollow, cylindrical body, panel-like front and back legs, and wheels that rest on long axles serving as feet. The animal's head rises proudly from the front end, with emphasized curved horns, a long, thick snout, and incised and black-painted eyes. A drilled hole through the snout has a ring through it - this ring likely would have been bronze when originally made (replaced later by cast iron ring). A large, thick neck and rim rises from the lower back of the vessel. A nub-like tail completes the animal form. Animal models on wheels may have been toys in the ancient Near East, but they may also have been pulled in religious processions. Size: 15.75" L x 7.25" W x 10.2" H (40 cm x 18.4 cm x 25.9 cm)

Provenance: private New York City, New York, USA collection; ex-prominent New York, USA collector D. K., acquired 2000s

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#156047

Professionally repaired and restored. Wheels and axle are modern, as is cast iron ring through the nose. Head has been reattached. Approximately 10% new material. Great deposits on surface.