Deer Head Rhyton
1 of 3
Object Label
Ancient Iranian Ceramics
These ceramics demonstrate ancient Iranian artists’ interest in creating containers and other ritual instruments in the shape of mammals or birds. This tradition was of incredible duration, stretching back to about 3000 B.C.E. of the Neolithic period and lasting as late as the sixth century C.E. These shapes relate Iranian art to the customs of neighboring regions of Mesopotamia, Greece, and Central Asia where animal art also played an integral role.
Caption
Deer Head Rhyton, ca. 1000–550 B.C.E.. Clay, length: 13 3/16 in. (33.5 cm) diameter of mouth: 4 3/4 in. (12 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, NYC, in memory of James F. Romano, 2015.65.26. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2015.65.26_PS9.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Title
Deer Head Rhyton
Date
ca. 1000–550 B.C.E.
Geography
Place made: Iran
Medium
Clay
Classification
Dimensions
length: 13 3/16 in. (33.5 cm) diameter of mouth: 4 3/4 in. (12 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, NYC, in memory of James F. Romano
Accession Number
2015.65.26
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
Tell me about the deer head rhyton.
That's one of my favorites! The head is so detailed, we think it may depict a roe deer, a species native to Iran. All of these animal-shaped vessels were made in ancient Iran. The deer rhyton is Elamite in origin.What is a rhyton?
A rhyton is a container from which liquids were drunk or poured during a ceremony!Is there any significance to calling it a rhyton rather than a ceremonial cup or chalice?The word rhyton refers to this particular shape of cup. They usually don't have a flat bottom, but sculptural decoration instead like the deer head you see here.
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at
