Date: ca. 3100–2900 BCE

Geography: Southwestern Iran

Culture: Proto-Elamite

Medium: Silver

This small silver bull, dressed in a robe adorned with a stepped pattern and holding a spouted vessel, intriguingly combines both human and animal features. Its broad neck transitions into distinctly human shoulders, which then narrow into arms ending in hooves. In Proto-Elamite art, depictions of animals in human-like poses were common, possibly representing natural forces or serving as characters in myths or fables. The exact purpose of this exquisite piece remains unclear, though traces of cloth attached to the figure suggest it may have been deliberately buried, perhaps as part of a ritual or ceremony.