Container in the form of a bull bearing a pot
Date12th to early 13th century
Label TextIn the pre-Islamic Zoroastrian religion of Iran, cattle, especially bulls with inward turning horns, had special meaning as the first creature god created. Their popularity continued with Islam, and images of cattle such as this bull-shaped container became particularly widespread during the artistically prolific Seljuk Empire.
The animal’s body is hollow to hold an unknown liquid, with the open nose acting as spout. The pot on the bull's back also held liquid and may have acted as a flower vase.
Object number38.139
Provenance[S. Craig Preston, New York]; purchased from Mr. Preston by Seattle Art Museum (Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection), 1938
Photo CreditPhoto: Elizabeth Mann
Exhibition HistoryNew York, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs, Apr. 25 - July 24, 2016. Text by Sheila R. Canby, et al. Cat. no. 134, p. 217-218.
Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing.Published ReferencesRogers, Millard B. Iranian Art in the Seattle Art Museum [Seattle Art Museum Engagement Book 1973]. Seattle: Seattle Art Museum. 1973. Reproduced pl 37.
Watson, Oliver. Persian Lustre Ware. London: Faber and Faber, 1985, fig. 98Credit LineEugene Fuller Memorial Collection
Dimensions17 1/2 x 6 in. (44.45 x 15.24 cm)
L.: 12 1/2 in.
MediumStonepaste; glazed in opaque white, luster painted (with later repairs)
Object number: 81.17.1
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