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Animal-shaped vessel
ca. 160 B.C.E.-224 C.E.


Parthian period

Clay fired gray; surface originally burnished
H: 20.3 W: 25.6 D: 14.1 cm
Northwest Iran, Northwest Iran

Gift of Arthur M. Sackler S1987.94

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Animal-shaped vessels, often provided with a pouring spout, are among the most characteristic and long-lived creations of ancient Iranian artisans. With their lustrous gray or copper-colored surfaces, they were probably made to imitate metal vessels.