An ancient decorative Bucranium (skull of an Ox). a form of carved decoration commonly exhibited in large halls and in architecture as a decorative motif. It is thought to have originated with the ancient practice of displaying garlanded, sacrificial oxen, or sacrificial bulls whose heads or skulls were displayed on the walls of temples. In Anatolia, cattle skulls were similarly used in architecture where they were overlaid with white plaster. In other areas, other animal skulls served a similar purpose

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Photo credit: © Colin Waters / Alamy / Afripics
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