Silver rhyton in the shape of a bull's head with golden horns and a gold rosette on the forehead. It's internal core would have been made from a wooden former. The rosette signifies that the animal has been dressed ready for sacrifice. The quality of the craftsmanship is characteristic of work produced by Cretan smiths. A rhyton is a roughly conical container from which fluids were intended to be drunk or to be poured in some ceremony such as libation, or merely at table. A rhyton is typically formed in the shape of an animal's head. National Archaeological Museum, Athens.

---

Size: 4960px × 7041px
Location:
Photo credit: © DAVID PARKER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: age, ancient, animal, archaeological, archaeology, archaic, background, bronze, bull, bulls, ceremonial, ceremony, civilisation, civilization, classical, cretan, crete, drinking, forehead, gold, golden, greece, greek, head, hellene, horns, libation, marble, myth, mythic, mythical, mythological, myths, period, rhyton, rosette, sacrifice, sacrificial, silver, vessel, white