The kingdom of Saba is better known as the
Biblica Sheba. Biblical accounts speak of the
wealth of this ancient civilization of gold traders
and merchants, and modern archaeological
excavations confirm these reports. This
magnificent bronze sculpture of a bull is but one
example of the luxurious nature of Sabean art.
The bull is one of the more popular animal
subjects in the Sabean ouevre. He stands
frontally on all four feet on a rectangular stepped
base. The head is strongly sculpted, with a
raised bone structure between the curved horns.
Behind the horns are upright ears, the eyes have
heavy brows, the genitals are prominent, and the
tail falls straight down. The solid stance is
characteristic of the local Sabean style. The bull
has been worshipped since the dawn of
civilization as a symbol of strength and power.
Ancient Israelis worshipped a golden cow before
they were converted to monotheism by Moses.
Ancient Egyptian mythology and the Hindu
religion both hold the bull to be a sacred animal.
Zeus was known to take on the guise of a bull.
We might wonder what god this bronze bull
represents?
- (X.0026)
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