Greek Knossos Bull Head Statue from brass 20cm x 11cm

An excellent example of Minoan stone carving and one of the most impressive works of the early neo-palatial period is the ryto in the shape of a bull's head. It is a ritual vessel, which was filled with the liquid necessary for libation from a hole in the neck and emptied from a second hole in the muzzle. Its form is identified with the main animal of Minoan religion, the bull. His horns, which have not been found, must have been wooden and gilded, his eyes were inlaid with fine crystal with painted irises, his eyelids of jasper, and his muzzle of mother-of-pearl. The animal's tusks between the horns are rendered in relief, while the hair on the other parts of the head is indicated by incised lines. Impressive is the way in which the stonecutter has rendered the naturalness and strength of the bull, its anatomical proportions, the folds in his neck and his expressiveness. The vessel is not preserved in its entirety - only the left side of the head is authentic.