There is evidence of visual representations of cockerels within the Mesopotamian culture shown by key attributes including the comb, wattle and tail feathers. There are also ancient texts describing roosters in UR III inscriptions. It was believed the bird came over from India to the Mesopotamian settlements from 2200 BC. It was thought that the cockerel/rooster would protect against evil spirits. The rooster was a symbol for the god Nusku, a Sumero-Akkadian god of light, fire and protection. He was also the minister of the god Enlil, a major Mesopotamian deity, god of wind, air and earth. Therefore, the rooster had associations with powerful deities within the ancient Near East mythology. The bird was also kept for domestic purposes in daily life.
Western Asiatic Bronze Cockerel Statuette
£ 245.00
A fine Western Asiatic stylised cockerel cast from bronze. The bird features a small body with large wings, tail feathers and head. Both the tail feathers and wings end in a sharp point creating a triangular shape. The head displays large circular eyes, decorated with concentric circles and a large pointed beak. Both the comb and wattle are emphasised in size. Small lined incisions are visible across the tail, wings and comb to demonstrate the feathers. The statuette is mounted on a custom-made stand.
Provenance: ‘The Ancient Menagerie Collection’ formerly the property of a Cambridgeshire lady, collected since the 1990s and acquired from auctions and dealers throughout Europe and the USA, now ex London collection.
Condition: Very fine condition, some encrustation visible to the surface.
SOLD
| Weight | 34.4 g |
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| Dimensions | W 3.5 x H 5.2 cm |
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