Statuette of a bull standing at rest but with its head raised on the alert. Slim, plastically modelled body. Trapezoid head; long, pointed muzzle with a groove for the mouth and circular, drilled nostrils. Deeply punched, almond-shaped eyes. The horns curve upwards; very small, grooved ears below them. The dewlap, rendered as a sharp ridge, extends as far as the forelegs. The sturdy haunches with schematic contours stand out clearly from the body; small, offset hooves with a central groove. Long, drooping tail. Pronounced rendering of the genitals. Probably a votive offering. Surface at the tip of right horn slightly worn; some encrustation; figure intact.
PROVENANCE
Formerly priv. coll. Charles Ratton (1895-1986), Paris. Thereafter, priv. coll. Madeleine Meunier (1921-2009), Paris, acquired in the 1950s-1970s. With French art market, prior 2016. Thereafter, priv. coll. T. Aliot, Switzerland; acquired in 2017 from Jean-David Cahn AG, Basel.
NOTE
The bronze bull statuettes found at the Cabeiros Sanctuary near Thebes provide plenty of material for stylistic comparisons, see B. Schmaltz, Metallfiguren aus dem Kabirenheiltum bei Theben (Berlin 1980). The bulls of Group 24 after Schmaltz are related to our specimen with regard to their slender, organic shape, balanced proportions and modelling. Cf. ibid. 75 ff., 109, esp. nos. 296, 302-202, 305, pls. 15-16. The schematic rendering of the haunches is reminiscent of the Archaic Period. Cf. a related Early Archaic bull: W. D. Heilmeyer, Frühe Olympische Bronzefiguren. Die Tiervotive, OF XII (Berlin 1979), 160, 260, no. 805, pl. 98.

