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trough
;
drinking-vessel
;
cast
Object Type
trough
drinking-vessel
cast
Museum number
120000
Title
Object:
The Uruk Trough
Description
Drinking trough; limestone; wide convex ends; impractical, as if it were raised high enough to see the relief decoration, it could not be used as a trough or basin; probably a cult image in the temple of Inanna; decoration shows flocks of sheep approaching reed hut and lambs emerging from it; scene probably reflects fecundity of flocks under Inanna's protection; high volutes projecting from the hut and repeated elsewhere are symbols of the goddess as are rosettes on the ends; the right end of one side is a cast, the original being in Berlin.
Cultures/periods
Late Uruk
Production date
3300BC-3000BC
Findspot
Found/Acquired:
Warka
Materials
limestone
Dimensions
Height:
15.20 centimetres
Length:
96.50 centimetres
Weight:
35 kilograms
Width:
35.50 centimetres
Bibliographic references
Hall H R 1928d / An early Sumerian sculptured trough
Andrae 1930a / Steinbecher
(with photo of the Berlin fragment)
Frankfort H 1954a / The art and architecture of the Ancient Orient
(pl. 3c)
Delougaz P 1960a / Architectural representations on steatite vases
(p.91)
(reference to)
Barnett & Wiseman 1969a / Fifty masterpieces of Ancient Near Eastern Art
(pp 8-9)
(Ph)
Reade 2000c / Early carvings from the Mocatta, Blau, and Herzfeld Collections
(p.81)
Location
On display
(G56/dc7)
Exhibition history
Exhibited: 2013 - 2014 3 Nov - 21 Apr, Herne, LWL Museum fur Archaologie, 'Uruk: 5000 Years of the Megacity' 2013 25 Apr - 8 Sep, Berlin, Vorderasiatisches Museum, 'Uruk: 5000 Years of the Megacity'
Subjects
mammal
architecture
flower
Associated names
Emblem of:
Inanna
Acquisition name
Donated by:
Art Fund
(as NACF)
Previous owner
Previous owner/ex-collection:
Maj V E Mocatta
Acquisition date
1928
Department
Middle East
BM/Big number
120000
Registration number
1928,0714.1
Additional IDs
Miscellaneous number:
1018
(NACF art review number)
Miscellaneous number:
VA 8768
(museum number of the fragment in Berlin)
Conservation
Treatment
: 11.03.1991