mini bronze Minoan bull's head

The original of this striking piece was discovered in Knossos in 1905 by the British archaeologist, Sir Arthur Evans. It is on display in the newly refurbished Heraklion Museum in Crete. It dates to ca 1600 - 1450 BCE, which was the golden age of the Minoan palace civilisation.

The piece combines luxury materials which were available to the seafaring Minoans at the time, and reflects an extraordinary and meticulous crafsmanship. The head is sculpted from a single block of dark black steatite or soapstone. You can even see the fine incisions mimicking the texture of hair! The eyes are made of rock crystal and red jasper, the muzzle inlaid with mother of pearl around his nostrils. The gilded horns of the one on display are modern reconstructions - the originals were made of wood with delicate gold leaf layered on top, which had decomposed over time, but had left sufficient trace to enable them to be perfectly replicated.

A rhyton is a vessel used for pouring libations, liquid offerings to the gods, such as wine, oil, or honey. Given the exquisite craftsmanship of this piece, we can assume that this vessel was reserved for high-ranking individuals.

Flourishing on Bronze Age Crete ca 3000–1100 BCE, the Minoans were a vibrant, colourful and innovative civilization that celebrated the beauty of life, nature's rhythms, and the sea which surrounded them.

Their extraordinary artistic output reflects their love of the natural world. Their sprawling palaces, most famously Knossos, Malia, and Phaistos, were adorned with breathtaking frescoes characterized by fluid lines and vivid colors. Instead of grim battle scenes, these murals depicted graceful leaping bulls, blue monkeys, and delicate saffron crocuses. Their creativity extended to their exquisite pottery, which featured dynamic motifs of octopus and coral wrapping around clay vessels, reflecting a sophisticated society deeply in tune with its environment.

This intimate connection with nature was inextricably linked to their mastery of the sea. Developing a formidable thalassocracy, the Minoans dominated the Aegean as unparalleled seafarers. Their advanced sailing vessels, elegantly depicted in frescoes at Akrotiri on Santorini/Thera, carried olive oil and fine ceramics across lucrative trade networks across the Mediterranean world, returning with exotic ivory and gold.

The worship of the bull was widespread in the ancient world as it symbolised power, strength and virility. It played a particularly prominent role in the culture of the Minoans on Crete, where images of it appear on many of the frescoes and pottery.

Zeus took a fancy to Europa, daughter of the king of Phoenicia, and changed himself into a gorgeous white bull. Europa, entranced by its beauty, climbed onto its back. The bull leapt into the sea, and carried the unsuspecting Europa all the way to Crete. Zeus made love to her, the result of which were three sons, one of whom was Minos, who became King of Crete and gave his name to the Minoan Civilisation. And the name of the continent Europe derives from this myth.

Surviving Minoan frescoes depict bull-leaping rituals, and the bull is one of the most recurrent symbols in ancient Minoan art and jewellery.

To the Egyptians, the constellation we know as Taurus represented the renewal of life in the spring.

Hephaistos would be amazed by the craftsmanship and quality of this wonderful collection!

These superb bronze pieces are cast in Greece using the traditional lost wax method. As nothing is mass-produced, there will inevitably be slight variations in texture, patina, and colour. No two pieces are ever the same. If mounted, the base is of black marble.

Please note that there may be a variation of some millimetres in the dimensions of the base from time to time, and that accessories such as spears, tridents or javelins may vary in length or height! If you need precise dimensions and weight, email me!

If you need a piece to fit a very specific space, or if you want me to take a photo of a couple of pieces so you can pick the one you want, I will do so with pleasure.

Every piece is deliciously tactile.

It's All Greek is so grateful and so proud to have been working closely with the Semitekolo family foundry since 1999. It has been a privilege and a joy to handle, live with, to photograph and describe these gorgeous pieces, before passing them on to passionate and grateful customers all over the world.

If you already own one of these pieces, cherish it!