Bushel with ibex motifs

The bushel with ibex motifs, also known as the beaker with ibex motifs, is a prehistoric pottery artifact originating from Susa, an ancient city in the Near East located in modern-day Iran.^[1][2] This piece of art is believed to have been created during the Susa I period, between 4200 and 3500 BCE.^[1] The bushel is a large vessel, measuring 28.9 x 16.4 cm, and was used as a funerary item among the first inhabitants of Susa.^[1][2][3]

Bushel with ibex motifs
Material	Terracotta
Height	28.9 cm
Width	16.4 cm
Created	c. 3850 BC
Discovered	c. 1907 Shush, Khuzestan, Iran
Present location	Paris, Ile-de-France, France

The bushel is considered an example of animal style, a decorative approach in art that emphasizes animal motifs.^[4] The bushel features various animal motifs including long-necked birds in the upper register, thought to be a kind of wading water bird commonly seen in the region's plains during winter.^[5] The next register showcases reclining dogs, which are believed to be saluki or greyhound type hunting dogs typical of the area.^[5]

The most notable feature of the bushel is the ibex, or mountain goat, motifs, located below the dogs.^[5] The ibex, a native of the Zagros Mountain range near Susa, is portrayed in a non-naturalistic style using simple shapes such as triangles.^[1][3] The goat's horns are depicted as arched back over its body, forming a circle.^[5] The roundness of the horns and other geometric elements of the bushel are said to emphasize its cylindrical shape.^[1]

The bushel was discovered during a 1906–1908 excavation of a Susian necropolis led by Jacques de Morgan.^[1][6] It is now housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, where it is recognized as a unique and well-crafted piece.^[2][5]