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Terracotta vase in the form of a bull's head

ca. 1450–1400 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 151
This vase is a type of rhyton, or libation vase. The offering was poured through the hole in the animal's muzzle. The vase was filled either by immersion in a large container or through the hole on the head. Using the principle of the siphon, liquid would not flow out as long as the opening at the top was closed with the thumb.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Terracotta vase in the form of a bull's head
  • Period: Late Minoan II
  • Date: ca. 1450–1400 BCE
  • Culture: Minoan
  • Medium: Terracotta
  • Dimensions: Overall: 3 3/4 x 5 7/16 in. (9.5 x 13.9 cm)
  • Classification: Vases
  • Credit Line: Gift of Alastair Bradley Martin, 1973
  • Object Number: 1973.35
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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