ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN TERRACOTTA BIRD-SHAPED RHYTON Ca. 1st millennium BC. A terracotta rhyton in the form of a stylised bird standing on three pointed legs. The vessel is hollow, with a flaring spout at the top and a rounded handle projecting from its back. The wings are indicated by raised, curved contours along the sides, and the tail is rendered as a vertical ridge extending from the back. The head is shaped with a prominent, pointed beak and small, recessed eyes, while a short spout projects forward beneath the beak. The entire surface is polished to a dark, glossy finish and is decorated with evenly spaced incised lines forming geometric patterns across the body. Size: 310mm x 260mm; Weight: 1.52kg Provenance: Prince collection, 1990s-2014; Ex. Jean-David Cahn Auktionen, November; 2011. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.