Spout in the form of a man's head

Spout in the form of a man's head

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This spout displays the high degree of Hellenism seen in many examples of Parthian art. The mustache and beard were originally inlaid with shiny iron pyrites, pieces of which are still visible in the beard. The central parting of the hair is a distinctly Parthian feature also found on coins. The long, thin face and prominent nose suggest the likeness of an actual individual.

Ancient Near Eastern Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Spout in the form of a man's headSpout in the form of a man's headSpout in the form of a man's headSpout in the form of a man's headSpout in the form of a man's head

The Met's Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art cares for approximately 7,000 works ranging in date from the eighth millennium B.C. through the centuries just beyond the emergence of Islam in the seventh century A.D. Objects in the collection were created by people in the area that today comprises Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria, the Eastern Mediterranean coast, Yemen, and Central Asia. From the art of some of the world's first cities to that of great empires, the department's holdings illustrate the beauty and craftsmanship as well as the profound interconnections, cultural and religious diversity, and lasting legacies that characterize the ancient art of this vast region.