In the 2nd century BC, the art of bull leaping or dancing was developed in Minoan Crete and was performed by both men and women. The athlete would run toward a charging bull, grab its horns, and when tossed into the air, would execute various aerial movements, land on the bull's back, and dismount with a flip. Bull leaping was not fatal for the bull, but it could conceivably have been so for the athletes!
The original is housed in the Heraklion Museum on the island of Crete.
This Cretan Bull is made from bronze.
Height: 20cm / 8 ins;
Weight: 820 gms / 1 lb 13 oz.
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