Assyrian palace reliefs showing an eagle headed protective spirit, Nimrud, 911-605 BC. These guardian deities, carrying a magic cone and a bucket, were placed on either side of important palace entrances. It has been suggested that the cone slightly resembles the male flower used in the fertilisation of date palms, however, they could also represent Turkish pine cones. The bucket was made from either of metal or basketry and is thought to have held either holy water or pollen, or perhaps both. British Museum.