Bucket and cone

Bucket and cone refer to twin attributes that are frequently held in the hands of winged genies depicted in the art of Mesopotamia, and within the context of Ancient Mesopotamian religion.

These objects are often displayed in association with a stylised tree, before floral decorations, guardian figures, the king and / or his attendants and open doorways or portals.

[1] The cone was apparently held up in the right hand, the bucket held hanging downwards in the left hand of the figure, which is almost always that of a winged genie or an animal-headed demon or mythical composite (similar to the demon antagonist Anzû, though not necessarily with the same malicious connotations); only very occasionally[citation needed] might these attributes be borne by a fully human figure.

Other common identifications suggest the male inflorescence of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), or a clay imitation of one or the other.

Although fully explanatory texts regarding these objects are exceedingly rare, from written record it does seem highly likely that they were together employed in rituals of purification, as revealed by their Akkadian (also called Assyrian, Babylonian) names: Banduddû ("bucket") and mullilu ("purifier").