Not a generic animal carving but a ram reduced to essentials: turned head, spiral horn, tucked body, nothing wasted. It works because it stays blunt. The carving leans on mass and silhouette rather than fine finish, which gives it more presence than a fussier piece would manage.

The age claim stays qualified. We have no way to confirm "ancient" and would rather say so than dress a guess as fact. But the object already has what it needs in the hand: compact, still, and quietly convincing.