Vessel supported by two rams
Unknown Artist
ca. 2600–2500 BCE
Medium
Gypsum alabaster
Dimensions
H. 2 3/4 x W. 4 5/8 x D. 1 3/16 in. (7 x 11.8 x 3 cm)
Classification
Stone-Vessels
Culture & Period
Sumerian · Early Dynastic IIIa
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Norbert Schimmel Trust, 1989
Accession Number
1989.281.3
Tags
About this artwork
This diminutive gypsum alabaster vessel supported by two rams represents the sophisticated craftsmanship of Early Dynastic Sumerian artisans. Dating to approximately 2600-2500 BCE, the vessel was created during a period of remarkable artistic achievement in Mesopotamia. The two ram figures, carved in relief or three-dimensional form, serve both structural and symbolic functions. Rams held significant meaning in Sumerian culture, associated with fertility, abundance, and divine power. The vessel'...