Bull's Head Amulet
In Mesopotamia, jewelry was both worn and offered in temples as gifts to the gods. Its purpose was often more functional than ornamental: pendants worn on the body served as talismans to ward off evil and to increase the wearer's power. Mesopotamian amulets depict a large range of animals native to the Near East, illustrated here by a bull's head.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Sale, Sotheby and Co., London, November 26, 1968, lot 20; Walters Art Museum, 1968, by purchase.
Exhibitions
2010 | Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry. El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso. |
2006-2009 | Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry from the Walters Art Museum. Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville; The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota; The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
1979-1980 | Jewelry - Ancient to Modern. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
Date | Description | Narrative |
---|---|---|
2/16/1979 | Examination | examined for condition |
Geographies
Mesopotamia (Place of Origin)
Measurements
L: 15/16 in. (2.38 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, 1968
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
42.1458