Though small, this Cypriot rhyton in the form of a bull has a lot of personality. He’s a favorite with many visitors to The Fralin Museum of Art, particularly our UVA students. A rhyton is a vessel, usually with an animal head or, in this case, a depiction of a whole animal, that is meant to hold liquid for drinking or pouring. This may have been used in funerary rites or in acts of commemoration.
Cypriot Artist
Base Ring II Bull Rhyton, ca. 1475 BCE - 1225 BCE
Terracotta
3 1/8 x 2 x 4 1/8 in. (8 x 5.1 x 10.5 cm)
Gift of Hon. George C. McGhee
1983.2.54
