Southern Arabian, Sabaean people, ca. 1st millennium BCE to early 1st millennium CE, probably later in the period based on the lead weight, which was a later technological innovation to stabilize monumental statuary. Four matching, more-than-lifesize cast bronze bull hooves, each capped by a large, cuboid shape. Two have projecting slots atop the cuboid for attachment (more on that in a minute). Three are hollow on their interiors, with openings at the back of the cuboids and on the base of the foot. The fourth is filled with lead up to the interior of the cuboid form. Each stands slightly forward on its realistic hoof with two claws displayed, the cuboid slightly set over the back of the hoof rather than directly over it, with two naturalistic projections from the back, showing that the artisans who sculpted the molds to create these feet paid close attention to the details of bull anatomy. Size: 5.75" W x 11" H (14.6 cm x 27.9 cm)

What might these massive hooves have graced? The cuboid projections and slots on two of them suggest that they were made to hold a table or altar rather than a full statue of a bull. For example, the sandstone offering table found at Swada and now at the Louvre (AO 31930) has an animal's head on the left and feet terminating in bull's hooves. A bronze table found in 2004 in the same region is of a similar form. Another possibility is that these feet were part of a naos - a simple rectangular temple form - as in an example found near Haoulti, which had four feet shaped like bull's hooves, two pointing forward, and two pointing back, supporting a base that held a niche decorated with ornamentation. Bulls hooves have also been found on stone furniture from the same region. Whatever these feet supported, it was a massive and important, probably ritual object.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#134665

All have some losses to their upper and back portions, with some slight bending to form around the opening at the back. Pale turquoise patina on surfaces of each, with encrusted deposits, especially on the tops of the pieces.