The bushel with ibex motifs, also known as the beaker with ibex motifs, is a prehistoric pottery artifact originating from

Susa Susa ( ) was an ancient city in the lower Zagros Mountains about east of the Tigris, between the Karkheh River, Karkheh and Dez River, Dez Rivers in Iran. One of the most important cities of the Ancient Near East, Susa served as the capital o ...

, an ancient city in the Near East located in modern-day

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. This piece of art is believed to have been created during the Susa I period, between 4200 and 3500 BCE. The bushel is a large vessel, measuring 28.9 x 16.4 cm, and was used as a funerary item among the first inhabitants of Susa. The bushel is considered an example of

animal style Animal style art is an approach to decoration found from Ordos culture to Northern Europe in the early Iron Age, and the barbarian art of the Migration Period, characterized by its emphasis on animal motifs. The zoomorphic style of decoration ...

, a decorative approach in art that emphasizes animal motifs. The bushel features various animal motifs including long-necked birds in the upper register, thought to be a kind of wading water bird commonly seen in the region's plains during winter. The next register showcases reclining dogs, which are believed to be

saluki The Saluki or Persian hound (Persian:سگ تازی، Arabic: سلوقي) is a standardised breed developed from sighthounds – dogs that hunt primarily by sight rather than strong scent – that was once used by nomadic tribes to run down game ...

or greyhound type hunting dogs typical of the area. The most notable feature of the bushel is the

ibex An ibex ( : ibex, ibexes or ibices) is any of several species of wild goat (genus ''Capra''), distinguished by the male's large recurved horns, which are transversely ridged in front. Ibex are found in Eurasia, North Africa and East Africa. T ...

, or mountain goat, motifs, located below the dogs. The ibex, a native of the Zagros Mountain range near Susa, is portrayed in a non-naturalistic style using simple shapes such as triangles. The goat's horns are depicted as arched back over its body, forming a circle. The roundness of the horns and other geometric elements of the bushel are said to emphasize its cylindrical shape. The bushel was discovered during a 1906–1908 excavation of a Susian necropolis led by Jacques de Morgan. It is now housed in the

Louvre Museum The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, where it is recognized as a unique and well-crafted piece.

References

{{Portal bar, Asia, History, Visual arts 1900s archaeological discoveries 1900s in Iran 4th-millennium BC works 5th-millennium BC works Archaeological discoveries in Iran Birds in art Dogs in art Goats in art Iranian pottery Near Eastern and Middle Eastern antiquities in the Louvre Prehistoric art Susa