The model shrine, which was recently acquired by the museum, shows a bull in a decorated gate. On the top of the gate rest two birds, and two deer protrude from the gate on both sides of the bull.
Such models for shrines were created in Northern Mesopotamia - in present-day Israel, Lebanon and Syria - in the 1st and 2nd centuries B.C. Examples similar to the one on display in the Museum of Fine Arts can be found in the Museum of Israel in Jerusalem.
The Museum of Fine Arts started highlighting an extraordinary piece from its collection each season in 2003. The aim of the series is to show visitors pieces from the museum's collection which have been recently acquired or newly restored.
