Terracotta sheep or bull

ca. 1400–1300 BCE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 151

Mycenaean sculptors frequently worked in clay, and numerous handmade, small-scale, painted terracotta statuettes have survived. In addition to human figures, animals such as bulls, sheep, goats, and horses were also popular subjects. Examples found in religious contexts may have functioned symbolically as substitutes for actual animal sacrifices. Analysis of burnt animal bones from Mycenaean sanctuaries has shown that most of them came from sheep, goats, and pigs.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Terracotta sheep or bull
Period: Late Helladic IIIA
Date: ca. 1400–1300 BCE
Culture: Helladic, Mycenaean
Medium: Terracotta
Dimensions: H. 3 1/8 in. (8 cm)
length 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm)
Classification: Terracottas
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1959
Object Number: 59.11.26
Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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