Art Analysis: The Bearded Bull's Head

Have you heard of the expression ‘don’t grab the bull by the horns’? How about ‘don’t grab the bull by the beard.’? Wait, what? Yes, you read that correctly. In the Early Dynastic Period, about 4,500 years ago, bulls were an animal that symbolized protection and beards were a symbol of certain gods. So, to say that maybe this combination was something that inspired artists back in this time period. Therefore, sculpting the famous Bearded Bull’s Head. The Bearded Bull’s Head is a sculpture made from copper with lapis lazuli and shell inlays. The artist of this interesting piece remains unknown. It was made nine and a half inches long by nine and a sixteenth inches wide, or 23.5 centimeters by 23 centimeters. The sculpture itself is classified

When a piece of artwork is created, whether it be a painting, sculpture, etc., the material(s) the piece is made out of is called a ‘medium.’ The Bearded Bull’s Head specifically, was made from copper with lapis lazuli and shell inlays. By taking a look at the figure, it is noticed that it is only a head, hence the name as well. The head is accentuated by a stocky muzzle with a curly and wide beard. Thinking about it, putting a beard on a bull would seem very strange. However, the St. Louis Art Museum states that the beard “looks curiously natural,” (Handbook of the Collection). The craftsmanship brought the object to life by the use of the lapis lazuli and shell inlays on the eyes of the bull. Lapis lazuli is a type of bright blue metamorphic rock that are usually used in jewelry. The head of the bull is hollow in the back which gives us proof that this was once part of a copper relief or a larger three-dimensional figure, (Handbook of the Collection, 23). “The eyes strike a bright note, recalling the gaze of an animal that is steadily observing the scene before attacking a victim,” (Favorites from the Museum: Bearded Bull’s Head). This quote proves that the Bearded Bull’s Head is important and a fascinating object in the St. Louis Art Museum because the eyes are obviously something was important to people back then. Usually, all kinds of animals are predators and have their own way of

The ancient culture of Sumeria lasted about three thousand years before Christ came into the picture. There were diggings by the British Museum and University of Pennsylvania that uncovered these great artworks from this time period, (Rathbone, 35). In the Early Dynastic period, the art is based off of worshippers, war, and court life, (Frankfort, 55). This animal sculpture with man features was found at Larsa on the Euphrates River. The Euphrates River is located in lower Mesopotamia, very close in distance to the Tigris River as well. Mesopotamia was of great importance during ancient times, (A New Sumerian Bull’s Head in St. Louis, 2). The place in which this artwork was found was also seemingly interesting. “Found within the city walls was a central mound some 70 feet high: the remains were in a ziggurat or artificial mountain,” (Goldstein, 8). This quote proves that the sculpture is fascinating for the museum because it explains what interesting wonders the piece has traveled to before it came to the current one. The piece also has evidence to be found with artifacts of the royal cemetery at Ur or within a similar range, (Rathbone, 2). Although it is pretty neat knowing the history behind it, it is also important to know how it got to the