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Chlorite is a distinctive gray-green stone that
was utilized during antiquity for the fabrication
of luxurious containers in the greater Gulf region
as well as southern Iran. Excavations at the
archeological site of Tepe Yaya, dated to the
mid-third millennium B.C., in Iran unearthed the
ruins of workshops where such vessels were
discovered. As well, raw materials used for their
manufacture, chlorite as well as steatite, quarried
from the nearby hills were also present. On the
island of Tarut, in the Gulf close to the Arabian
coast, over six hundred complete and
fragmentary vessels and weights have been
unearthed. Because many partially formed
objects found on Tarut were discovered next to
chunks of unworked chlorite, it has been
surmised that this island was once a center of
production for these works.
Found throughout the ancient Near East, from
Syria to the Indus Valley, revealing the extensive
trade routes of the time, these works are
classified by modern historians as belonging to
the “Intercultural Style,” called so because they
derive iconographical elements from both Near
Eastern and Harappan traditions. Much like the
written cuneiform alphabet was used by several
distinct cultures throughout the ancient Near East
to dictate their individual spoken languages, so
such vessels were created by various cultures,
each adorning the works with their own distinct
aesthetic style. Many examples were discovered
in the ruins of palace and temple structures or
entombed in the graves of the nobility, including
Sumerian Mesopotamia. Clearly these vessels
were among the most precious luxury items that
could only be afforded by the ruling elite.
This tall conical vase with a flaring rim has been
decorated with the image of a long-haired
avian-headed deity riding upon the backs of two
bulls. Similar compositions have been described
as portraying “masters of the beasts.” Here, the
master of the beasts holds an arching band over
the backs of the bulls that flows behinds their
heads and falls towards the base where they
bend at sharp angles. Most likely this band
represents a stream or river. Such iconography
seems to originate in eastern Iran and Central
Asia, where the theme of man dominating over
the animals appeared to be quite popular.
According to some scholars, the wild beasts
represent chaos and are contrasted to the
humans, who display control over nature and the
promise of fertility in the form of water.
- (X.0314 W)
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