"Vessel stand with ibex support,ca. 2600–2350 B.C."

"Vessel stand with ibex support,ca. 2600–2350 B.C."

"Temple rituals during the Early Dynastic period included making offerings of food, drink, and probably incense to the gods. This stand, with four rings supported by a magnificent ibex, would have supported lamps or bowls holding offerings or incense and may have been used in temple or in banquet rituals.

This stand was made by a sophisticated method of metalwork known as the lost-wax technique. The desired image was sculpted in wax and surrounded with clay that hardened into a mold when baked. When the mold was fired, the wax was melted and "lost," leaving a negative space that corresponded to the wax image. Molten metal was then poured into the cavity to form a reproduction of the original wax model."

Rogers Fund, 1974

Sumerian, Mesopotamia

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

2600–2350 B.C.

Francesca Fobbe

Copyright The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Used here for educational purposes only.

"Copper alloy, inlaid with shell and lapis lazuli.
H. 15 3/4 x W. 9 1/4 x D. 9 7/16 in. (40 x 23.5 x 23.9 cm)."

"Metal-work Sculpture"