Ca. 300BC .
This stone votive bull altar stands as a profound embodiment of ritualistic devotion. Resplendent in its simplicity, assumes the form of a flat rectangular offering table, embellished with raised borders that serve as both visual frame and symbolic threshold. The altar's enigmatic denouement lies in its bovine terminus—an exquisitely carved head, bowed in solemn reverence. Within the context of South Arabian rituals, the function and usage of such an altar find their roots in the sacred art of libations—an act of profound significance. In the hallowed domains of this ancient culture, libations represented a communion between the earthly and the divine, where the material world sought connection with realms beyond. As votaries approached this stone tableau, they would present offerings upon its surface, tokens of reverence to unseen forces that shaped their lives. For a similar, please see The British Museum, Museum number 141580.
Size: L:110mm / W:420mm ; 26.160kg
Provenance: Property of a central London collection; previously acquired in Paris from A. Kotlar in 2004, formerly in a collection since the 1970s; previously in a French collection since the 1950s.