From old NJ collection.

16 cm.

Bull cults were popular from at least the First Dynasty. The powerful and virile bull was associated with the pharaoh, who sometimes took the epithet "strong bull of his mother". As early as 3100 BC the king is depicted in the form of a bull.A sacred bull was identified by specific sacred markings. Once the bull had been confirmed as the incarnation of a god, it was housed in plush quarters, given only the best food, and provided with a harem of the best cows. The lucky animal would live in the lap of luxury until its death when it would be mummified and buried with full honors.

The Mnevis (Meruur or Mnewer) was the sacred bull of Heliopolis. The bull was usually completely black, but if that was not possible a white bull was also acceptable. The chosen bull was also known as "Kemwer" ("great black"). In time, the bull came to be associated with the more popular Apis bull. The bull was associated with Ra and possibly also with Min. When Akhenaten abandoned the other god in favor of The Aten he claimed that he would maintain the Mnevis cult. The cult may have retained his favor because of its solar associations, but archaeologists have not discovered any indication that the pharaoh made good his promise. There is very little information regarding the Mnevis cult. Only two Mnevis burials have been discovered, dating from the reigns of Ramesses II and Ramesses IV (during the New Kingdom) interred in individual tombs cut into the ground and topped by a huge granite slab. The burials included a set of Canopic Jars which seem to have been purely ritualistic as they were found to be empty.