Agate bull

Every now and then I come across a beautiful piece of art from the Indus valley civilization which I’d never heard of before. I saw this tiny agate bull with curved horns of gold a couple of weekends ago in a special exhibition in Mumbai’s museum. The object was on loan from the Directorate of Archaeology of the Government of Haryana, and was found in Pur village of that state.

The Family and I stood quietly a few steps behind a stream of people who paused and gazed at this 4000 years old jewel. Among a set of well-chosen objects, this stood out for its beauty, and many people stopped for a close look. When the crowd thinned, we stepped in close for a look. The artist has used the banding in the agate to cleverly model the bull with its hump and suggestion of legs. The little bit of gold is curved and tapered beautifully, and bonded masterfully to the stone. The passing millennia have caused slight damages. There was that moment of connection as we looked at this object: the people who crafted it shared our sense of beauty and order. Their essential humanity spoke to us across four thousand years.