Ukrainian Collective - Burghead Bull
£600
25cm Height x 37cm Length (horn to tail) 11cm width
This sculpture of the Burghead Bull in Lime wood was created by Ivan, a graduate of Lviv National Academy of Arts and is based on the carved Pictish stones found at Burghead Fort in Moray, Scotland. Around 30 bull carvings were discovered during the 19th-century demolition of the fort, but most were lost when used in the construction of a harbour. Today, six remain: two in Burghead's Visitor Centre, two in Elgin Museum, one in the National Museum of Scotland, and one in the British Museum.
The exact purpose of the stones is debated, perhaps symbols of power displayed on the fort's ramparts, part of a votive offering in a pagan fertility cult, or they lined a processional route through the fort.
The “tattoos” on the Bull, found on many stones, are included here to evoke the power and significance of marking the skin, wood, or stone with symbols that carry deep meaning.
