✅ SOLVED Help identifying old bronze bull figure

[Brahmabull]

Hi all, I have been sorting out a bunch of items that i have found while arrowhead hunting corn fields. This bronze figure of a bull has always intrigued me to find out what its meaning was and how old it might be. The axe between the horns has some design on it also. it has two mounting holes so i assume it may have been mounted on the door of a butcher shop There are tiny gold flecks that appear to be part of the metal composition looking at it with a jewelers loupe. I do not see any makers marks on it. Any help identifying it will be greatly appreciated.
Thought it would make a great avatar pic also sine my CB Radio handle from back in the 70's was brahmabull.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[ANTIQUARIAN]

First off, welcome to Tnet from Toronto Brahmabull!

If you could give us a bit of background history on where you found this piece and the dimensions that would be a big help.
Without this info, my first thought is it's cast brass decoration from a document box or a chest.

Dave

 

[Toecutter]

Im gonna go out on a limb here " Satanic Vikings "....

Know idea what it was for but it is a very cool piece, was this a surface find ? if so you need to go back with a detector...

 

[Red-Coat]

Hi. My first post!

It's actually copied from a Minoan (Greek culture c.2700 to c.1450 BC) statuette of a bull surmounted by a double-headed axe. Like this one:



I would also think it's purely decorative rather than having any specific symbolism for its use in modern times and quite likely from a chest, piece of furniture or something similar.

 

[mojjax]

part of a door knocker ?

 

[Mackaydon]

Red-Coat, welcome to treasurenet; and great ID !!
Don......

 

[Brahmabull]

Thanks for all the replies, It was found in a plowed corn field in mid Missouri on the surface while arrowhead hunting. Luckily the farm equipment did not damage it. I scrubbed it with a toothbrush and water only, suprisingly it didn't have any green corrosion on it just very dirty. I have found alot of civil war type bullets, buttons, spur, coins, gun and many other items over the years all in this field and all without a metal detector. I am planning on posting some of them sometime soon to get some info on them also. When the field is freshly plowed and we have alot of rain the river floods and the current flows over the field and washes all the loose dirt away and leaves the heavy stuff laying on the surface. I find alot of arrowheads this way but also find all kinds of other interesting stuff. Just started sorting some of it due to new interest in artifacts after watching some tv shows.

 

[Brahmabull]

WOW Red-Coat that is a perfect match, even has the flower design on the head and line on the axe. Thanks so much for the ID

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Thanks for all the replies, It was found in a plowed corn field in mid Missouri on the surface while arrowhead hunting. Luckily the farm equipment did not damage it. I scrubbed it with a toothbrush and water only, suprisingly it didn't have any green corrosion on it just very dirty. I have found alot of civil war type bullets, buttons, spur, coins, gun and many other items over the years all in this field and all without a metal detector. I am planning on posting some of them sometime soon to get some info on them also. When the field is freshly plowed and we have alot of rain the river floods and the current flows over the field and washes all the loose dirt away and leaves the heavy stuff laying on the surface. I find alot of arrowheads this way but also find all kinds of other interesting stuff. Just started sorting some of it due to new interest in artifacts after watching some tv shows.

With the information above, I'm now fairly certain this is cast bronze as opposed to common brass. If this were brass and had been lost 100+ years ago it would have a heavy verdigris by now. I'm thinking it likely was attached to a piece of furniture in an old homestead site that burned down. I've found a lot of these types of relics over the years, as I primarily detect homesites in Ontario that have either burnt or were demolished in the 19thc. I've never found anything as beautiful as your piece though, it's definitely something you can cherish for years to come.
Dave

 

[A2coins]

Amazing Idthats a keeper awesome find

 

[A2coins]

Welcome to tnet also Tommy

 

[yaxthri]

Well RedCoat the Id is almost correct but kudos anyway...
I should know being Greek and having had a classical Greek education, hahaha.

This specific bull head with the flower on it copies a mycenean rhyton (a ceremonial vessel for offering wine or other liquids to the gods).
Check this out:


https://arthistoryproject.com/timeline/the-ancient-world/aegean-civilizations/mycenaean-bull-rhyton/​

​

But the Mycenean civilization was largely influenced by the Minoan and these had the bull-cult first so technically it's a Minoan religious symbol. The double axe is also a minoan religious symbol called "labrys". The combination of these has never been found on or as an ancient artifact like shown in Brahmabull's find or the pic of the souvenir you found and posted. So this is a rather modern combination that was made up after Heinrich Schliemann found the bull-head rhyton in Mycenae during his excavations that started in the 1870s.​