The importance of the Ram as a deity, royal symbol, and masculine force to the ancient cultures of the Middle East, Egypt and Greece can be seen in many places: the Avenue of Ram Sphinxes at Karnak, the many ram-headed rhytons (drinking horns) that populate archeological collections in museums around the world and the two “Ram in a Thicket” statues dating from 2600-2400 B.C. Mesopotamia. The latter statues were discovered by Leonard Wooley in 1926 and are currently housed in the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia, PA. Because of its strength and virility, the ram also served as a protective device to soldiers and sailors; images were often affixed to instruments of war such as chariots and ships. The holes in our example indicate that the original of our bronze ram was probably used in this fashion. Judging by oral provenance, this undoubtedly non-archaic bronze, was probably created in the 1930s or 1940s and submerged or buried for a sufficiently long time to accrue convincing patina. The style of the ram with turned under horns, projecting ears and slit mouth fits the stylistic norms of classical Greece and the utilitarian construction creates a remarkable authenticity. It is, without reference to age, a remarkable work in its own right, Condition: Weathered. Dimensions: 12" x 10" from horn tip to tip.