Ram in a Thicket figurines

E879304

The Ram in a Thicket figurines are elaborately crafted Early Dynastic Mesopotamian sculptures, famed for their gold, lapis lazuli, and shell inlay and thought to have served a ritual or ceremonial function.

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Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Early Dynastic Mesopotamian art
Mesopotamian sculpture
archaeological artifact
archaeologicalSite Royal Cemetery of Ur NERFINISHED
baseDecoration inlaid with shell and lapis lazuli
beardMaterial lapis lazuli
bodyDecoration gold leaf covering wooden core
condition restored from fragmentary remains
creatorCulture Sumerian civilization NERFINISHED
culturalSignificance important example of Sumerian metalwork and inlay
masterpiece of Early Dynastic luxury art
currentLocation British Museum, London NERFINISHED
Penn Museum, Philadelphia NERFINISHED
date circa 2600–2400 BCE
depicts goat
tree or bush
discoveredAt Ur NERFINISHED
discoveredBy Leonard Woolley NERFINISHED
discoveryDate 1928–1929 excavation season
earsMaterial gold
foundInContext Royal tombs at Ur NERFINISHED
function ceremonial object
ritual object
hasPart Ram in a Thicket (British Museum) NERFINISHED
Ram in a Thicket (Penn Museum) NERFINISHED
height approximately 45 cm
hoovesMaterial gold
hornsMaterial lapis lazuli
iconographicInterpretation possible association with vegetation or life force
possible reference to fertility
material bitumen
copper alloy
gold
lapis lazuli
shell
wooden core
modernCountry Iraq NERFINISHED
museumCollection British Museum collection NERFINISHED
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology collection NERFINISHED
namedAfter biblical story of Abraham and the ram in a thicket
nameGivenBy Leonard Woolley NERFINISHED
numberOfKnownExamples 2
period Early Dynastic III period
pose rearing on hind legs
possibleFunction support for a bowl or tray
support rectangular base
technique gilding
inlay
treeMaterial gold-covered wood

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Tell el-Muqayyar hasDiscovery Ram in a Thicket figurines