Tiger (?) figurine

A fragmentary reddish-brown clay figure of a quadruped, its body banded with diagonal dark brown painted stripes. The head is broken away at the upper right, leaving a flat, eroded surface, and the legs are truncated at the base. The shape is compact and sculptural, with the stripes suggesting a striped cat or tiger.

Look closer: A small dark pitted mark and fine surface wear on the broken head surface, easy to overlook against the stripes.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 3100 BCE

Medium

Ceramic, paint

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

4000 × 3000 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, H. Dunscombe Colt Gift, 1963