Amulet in the Form of a Bovine

Creator

Preview

Creation Date

3000–2400 BCE

Geography

Sumer, South Mesopotamia

Culture

Sumerian

Medium

Shell

Dimensions

1 × 1 × 1/4 in. (2.6 × 2.5 × 0.5 cm)

0.15 oz. (3.9 g)

Credit Line

Bequest of David P. Harris ('46), 2020

Accession Number

2020.275

Provenance

While a receipt for this object was not cataloged in David P. Harris’s records, it is likely that this piece was purchased by Harris from Julia Schottlander (Tetragon) in London on October 31, 1992, based on the information from a receipt cataloged with another object.

Description

This is a small amulet in the form of an animal, perhaps a bovine. The two circular eyes and the similar concentric circle design on its stomach are the only decoration. A vertical hole runs through the body for suspension and ornamentation. The receipt indicates this object is made of shell. It is well-smoothed, very light, and has no jagged or sharp edges.

The actual zoomorphic figure is vague in form, though the ears match other bovine amulets from around the same time, which supports the receipt’s “bovine” claim. While comparanda is limited, this amulet has visual matches in the form of other Jemdet Nasr feline amulets (below).

The receipt indicates the creation date to be around 3000–2400 BCE in the Early Bronze Age, which could range from the Jemdet Nasr (Uruk III) period to the Early Dynastic III period of Sumer. Potential sites include Ur, Uruk, Lagash, Umma, and Nippur among others.

Comparative Pieces

Feline Amulet. Jemdat Nasr Period, Iraq, 3000–2500 BCE. Deaccessioned from California Museum of Ancient Art, no. 1457. http://www.ancientresource.com/lots/sumerian-mesopotamain-babylonian/noahs-ark-animals.html

Standing Ram. Iraq, 3000 BCE. Minneapolis Institute of Art, no. 71.62.2. https://collections.artsmia.org/art/11958/standing-ram-iraq

Further Reading

Crawford, Harriet E. W. The Sumerian World. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2018.

Ellie Westfall (’27) for Summer Scholars 2025