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Bear of Porcuna

Bear of Porcuna is an Iberian sculpture attributed to the Túrdulo people and found in 1926 at an archaeological site in Porcuna, the ancient Iberian city of Ipolca, in present-day Jaén, Andalusia, Spain. The bear is a funerary animal shown seated with its left front paw raised and resting on a herma. The herma is decorated with curved locks of hair, and the human head is now in poor condition because of age, though the eyes, eyebrows, mouth, and ears can still be seen. The sculpture has been on display at the National Archaeological Museum of Spain in Madrid since 1928, alongside other Iberian sculptures, under inventory number 33195.

Bear of Porcuna stone sculpture showing a seated animal with one paw resting on a carved human-headed pillar.
The Bear of Porcuna, an Iberian stone sculpture of a seated animal leaning on a carved human-headed pillar.
· CC BY-SA 4.0
Bear of Porcuna stone sculpture showing a seated bear with one paw resting on a small herma topped by a human head.
The Bear of Porcuna, an Iberian stone sculpture of a seated bear leaning on a herma.
· CC BY-SA 3.0
Bear of Porcuna stone sculpture with one paw resting on a herma topped by a carved head.
The Bear of Porcuna, a rough stone sculpture shown with one paw on a carved herma.
· CC BY-SA 4.0
Close-up of the Bear of Porcuna showing a carved animal head and upper torso with an open mouth and closed eyes, with a smaller human head beside it.
A close-up of the Bear of Porcuna, showing the carved animal head and upper torso with a smaller human head nearby.
August 2016 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Close-up of the Bear of Porcuna stone sculpture, showing a carved animal head beside a smaller human head.
Close-up of the Bear of Porcuna, an Iberian stone sculpture with a carved animal figure and a human head.
August 2014 © · CC BY-SA 2.0

Identification

TitleBear of Porcuna
Original nameEl Oso de Porcuna
Original nameL'Ours de Porcuna

Historical context

PeriodIberian period
CultureTurduli people
Probable date rangeRoman era, tentatively dated to the time of Augustus or somewhat later in the Julio-Claudian dynasty
FunctionFunerary purpose

Creator

DateUnknown; the source fragment is incomplete
Date1st century BC

Physical characteristics

Human facial features visibleEyes, strongly marked eyebrows, mouth, and the shape of the ears
Human head conditionPoorly preserved due to the passage of time
Herma detailBeardless male head
Herma decorationCombed with curved locks
Front left pawRaised and resting on a herma
PoseSeated on its hindquarters
SubjectBear or lioness
TypeIberian sculpture
TypeFunerary animal sculpture

Discovery and provenance

Discovery year1926
Discovery placeCalle del Sepulcro, Porcuna, Province of Jaén, Andalusia, Spain
Discovery contextFound during building works for an oil mill
Historical location namePorcuna was the Roman Obulco

Location and ownership

Current locationNational Archaeological Museum of Spain, Madrid
On display since1928
Associated collectionDisplayed together with various sculptures from the Iberian period
Inventory number33195