Man Leading a Ram by the Horn

A small sturdy ram appears to resist the efforts of a determined nude man standing beside him to lead or guide him forward, perhaps to sacrifice. The man's expressive, large hands convey his effort to make the animal move. Groups such as this are very rare in Geometric bronze sculpture and foreshadow the production of larger and more complicated sculptural compositions in bronze and stone during centuries to come. The presence of an iron pin piercing the plinth and extending into the ram's underside suggests that this charming group may originally have been attached to the top of a staff or sceptre. While the identity of the man remains uncertain, it is tempting to think of him as Hermes, the messenger god who sponsored trade and cared for flocks. David Gordon Mitten