This is the rating and price for Sumerian Limestone Bull Cup, Late Uruk/Jemdet Nas

Description : A Sumerian Limestone Bull Cup, Late Uruk/Jemdet Nasr Period, 3100 - 2900 BC, Conical in form on a flat base, the sides boldly carved in raised relief with three bulls in a procession to the right, one bull complete, its head turned out, with large oval eyes, short downturned horns, an undulating border above the base. Background: Uruk was dedicated to two great gods, An (or Anu) the sky god and Inanna, the goddess of love and procreation, better known under her Semitic name of Ishtar, whose vast temple complex E-Anna (the house of heaven) dominated the city. Stone vessels of this type - highly prized luxury goods made of imported stone and carved with great skill - dating to the late Uruk period were often found in temples or palaces. Bull cups are thought to have been made for ceremonial use in temples (the sacred herd motif of processing bulls is known from cups and cylinder seals of this period) and may be associated with fertility cults, Inanna's husband Dumuzi-Tammuz was closely associated with vegetation, flocks and cattle and the cult of the sacred marriage between them, with its associated rites designed to ensure productivity and fertility, originated at Uruk.For a similar stone bowl decorated with bulls see, J. Aruz (ed.), Art of the First Cities, exhibition catalogue, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2003, p. 42, no. 12, for a stone bowl with bulls in relief in the Vorderasiatische Museum, Berlin, no. VA 10113, The considerable work involved in creating stone vessels and the fact that the stone was imported gave them great value. While fragile ceramic vessels had to be continually replaced and therefore likely to reflect changes in taste ... stone vessels tended to be produced in a limited range of shapes and to be used for generations. Published: Concordia University, catalogue number: FOT-46. OUR GUARANTEE: We hereby certify the above item to be authentic and due diligence conducted to ensure stated provenance. We strictly adhere to the code of Conduct established by the Association of Dealers & Collectors of Ancient & Ethnographic Art and have established, to the best of our ability, the object has not been illegally obtained from the country of origin, excavation, architectural monument, public institution or private property. A Certificate of Authenticity is provided with every object.
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