https://tinyurl.com/y6zvg9st

The 'unicorn' of the bull-headed lyre of Ur (ca. 2600 BCE) is: खोंड khōṇḍa m A young bull (Marathi) Rebus: kunda a turner's lathe (Skt.)(CDIAL 3295) Vikalpa: kūdī, kūṭī 'bunch of twigs' (Skt.) Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelter furnace’ (Santali) kō̃da कोँद।कुलालादिकन्दुः f. a kiln; a potter's kiln; blacksmith and engraver-lapidary setting or infixing gems. (Kashmiri) kundana ‘fine gold’ (Kannada). कुन्द [p= 291,2] one of कुबेर's nine treasures (N. of a गुह्यक Gal. ) L. کار کند kār-kund (corrup. of P کار کن) adj. Adroit, clever, experienced. 2. A director, a manager; (Fem.) کار کنده kār-kundaʿh.  (Pashto)    P کار kār, s.m. (2nd) Business, action, affair, work, labor, profession, operation. Pl. کارونه kārūnah. (E.)

On Indus Script, the ‘unicorn’ is also read rebus as:  kār-kundaکار کنده 'manager, scribe'. 

https://tinyurl.com/ycgtthuz 

FIG. 1. DETAIL FROM THE PANEL ON THE BULL-HEADED LYRE showing an 8-stringed bovine lyre being played. At the top of the lyre, braided material is wrapped around the crossbar under the tuning sticks. The small fox-like animal facing the front of the lyre holds a sistrum, or rattle. UPM 817694. Detail of neg. 735-110. 

FIG. 4. THE LARGE BULL-HEADED LYRE, with its long strings, would have sounded something like a bass viol. UPM B 17694, H. 165 cm (reconstructed). Neg. T4-281

Inlay panel from the soundbox of lyre.from Ur, c. 2600 B.C.E Gold, lapis lazuli, shell and bitumen

tambura 'lyre' Rebus: tam(b)ra 'copper' Alternative: khara 'onager', kora 'harp' rebus: khār 'blacksmith'

barad, barat 'bull' Rebus: bharata, baran 'alloy of copper, pewter, tin'

kola 'tiger, jackal' Rebus: kol 'working in iron'

bica 'scorpion' rebus: bica 'hematite, ferrite ore'.

Hieroglyph: tambura ‘harp’; rebus: tambra ‘copper’ (Pkt.) 

Hieroglyph: tambura 'lyre, harp', rebus:  tambra 'copper', tāmbarā 

'coppersmith' (Oriya)

On harp-playing onager on the lyre it is noted by Brent A. Strawn & Joel M. LeMon, that an onager as harp-player. On the hieroglyphs, deployed a one-horned young bull is also shown in the presence of a jackal. कोला (p. 105) kōlā m (Commonly कोल्हा) A jackal. For compounds see under कोल्हे.  कोल्हा (p. 105) kōlhā m A jackal, Canis aureus. Linn. कोल्ही (p. 105) kōlhī A she-jackal.कोल्हें (p. 105) kōlhēṃ n A jackal. Without reference to sex. Pr. अडलें कोल्हें मंगळ गाय Even the yelling jackal can sing pleasantly when he is in distress. कोल्हें लागलें Applied to a practical joke. कोल्हेभूंक (p. 105) kōlhēbhūṅka or -भोंक f (कोल्हा & भुंकणें To bark.) The yelling of jackals. 2 Early dawn; peep of day.  rebus: kolhe 'smelter' kol 'working in iron' kolle 'blacksmith' kole.l 'smithy, forge' kole.l 'temple'.

In the bottom register, a scorpion-man is shown. bici 'scorpion' rebus: bica 'haematite, ferrite ore'.

Inlay panel from the soundbox of lyre.from Ur, c. 2600 B.C.E Gold, lapis lazuli, shell and bitumen

tambura 'lyre' Rebus: tam(b)ra 'copper' Alternative: khara 'onager', kora 'harp' rebus: khār 'blacksmith'

barad, barat 'bull' Rebus: bharata, baran 'alloy of copper, pewter, tin'

kola 'tiger, jackal' Rebus: kol 'working in iron'

bica 'scorpion' rebus: bica 'hematite, ferrite ore'.

A number of lute or harp string instruments are attested in Bronze Age. Typically, the categories are: kora, domra, yār̤. 

Hence, a hypothesis is that the onager called khara 'onager' was read rebus -- by the artists who composed the Standard of Ur -- as kora 'harp' (iconography and khār 'blacksmith' (Indus Script hypertext).

Onager shown on Standard of Ur (2600 BCE) is also shown on Indus Script inscriptions. An example is the seal from Mohenjo-daro (m290)(ca. 2500 BCE) which is a documentation of metalwork wealth by smelters' guild.

Thus, the symbolic ensemble is a documentation of metalwork in Indus Script Cipher. 

The following image sources from Plates XXXIII and XXXIV are cited by Brent A. Strawn & Joel M LeMon, following the iconographic analytical method given academic respectability by the work of Othmar Keel. 

Plate XXXIII

Red lead: gāndhārḥ गान्धारः 1 The third of the seven primary notes of the Indian Gamut; (commonly denoted by ग in musical notation). -2 Red lead. -3 N. of a country between India and Persia, the modern Kandahāra. -5 A native or a ruler of that country. -रम् Gum myrrh (Apte) 

Singer: gāndharva गान्धर्व a. (-र्वी f.) [गन्धर्वस्येदम्-अण्] Relating to the Gandharvas. -र्वः 1 A singer, celestial chorister; Rām.7.94.6. -2 One of the eight forms of marriage; गान्धर्वः समयान्मिथः Y.1.61; (for explanation, see गन्धर्व- विवाह); cf. अग्निर्गान्धर्वी पथ्यामृतस्या Rv.1.8.6. -3 A subordinate Veda treating of music attached to the Sāmaveda; see उपवेद. -4 A horse. -र्वम् The art of the Gandharvas; i. e. music, singing; कापि वेला चारुदत्तस्य गान्धर्व श्रोतुं गतस्य Mk.3; अये गान्धर्वध्वनिरिव श्रूयते Avimārakam 3; Ks.12.28. -र्वी 1 Speech. -2 An epithet of Durgā. -Comp. -कला, -विद्या, -शिक्षा, -शास्त्रम् song, music; यद्गन्धर्वकलासु कौशलम् Gīt.12.28; Ks.12.27. -चित्त a. one whose mind is possessed by a Gandharva. -वेदः the Veda of music (considered as an appendix to Sāmaveda and ascribed to Bharata). -शाला a music saloon, concert-hall; तत्र गान्धर्वशालायां वत्सराज उवास सः Ks.12.31.

Guardian of Soma: गन्धर्व  m. N. of a people (named together with the गान्धारs) R. vii , 100 , 10 f. and 101 , 2 ff. and 11 VarBr2S. xiv , 31; m. a गन्धर्व [though in later times the गन्धर्वs are regarded as a class , yet in RV. rarely more than one is mentioned ; he is designated as the heavenly गन्धर्व (दिव्य्/अ ग्° RV. ix , 86 , 36 and x , 139 , 5), and is also called विश्वा-वसु ( RV. x , 85 , 21 and 22 ; 139 , 4 and 5) and वायु-केश (in pl. RV. iii , 38 , 6) ; his habitation is the sky , or the region of the air and the heavenly waters ( RV. i , 22 , 14 ; viii , 77 , 5 ; ix , 85 , 12 ; 86 , 36 ; x , 10 , 4 AV. ii , 2 , 3) ; his especial duty is to guard the heavenly सोम ( RV. ix , 83 , 4 and 85 , 12) , which the gods obtain through his intervention ( RV. AV. vii , 73 , 3 ; cf. RV. i , 22 , 14) ; it is obtained for the human race by इन्द्र , who conquers the गन्धर्व and takes it by force ( RV. viii , 1 , 11 and 77 , 5) ; the heavenly गन्धर्व is supposed to be a good physician , because the सोमis considered as the best medicine ; possibly , however , the word सोम originally denoted not the beverage so called , but the moon , and the heavenly गन्धर्व may have been the genius or tutelary deity of the moon ; in one passage ( RV. ix , 86 , 36) the heavenly गन्धर्व and the सोम are identified ; he is also regarded as one of the genii who regulate the course of the Sun's horses (i , 163 , 2 ; x , 177 , 2 ; cf. 135 , 5) ; he knows and makes known the secrets of heaven and divine truths generally (x , 139 , 5 and 6 AV. ii , 1 , 2 ; xx , 128 , 3 VS. xi , 1 ; xxxii , 9) ; he is the parent of the first pair of human beings , यमand यमी ( RV. x , 10 , 4) , and has a peculiar mystical power over women and a right to possess them ( RV. x , 85 , 21 and 22 ; 40 and 41) ; for this reason he is invoked in marriage ceremonies ( AV. xiv , 2 , 35 and 36) ; ecstatic states of mind and possession by evil spirits are supposed to be derived from the heavenly गन्धर्व (cf. -गृहीत , -ग्रह) ; the गन्धर्वs as a class have the same characteristic features as the one गन्धर्व ; they live in the sky ( RV. AV. S3Br. xiv) , guard the सोम ( RV. ix , 113 , 3 S3Br. iii AitBr. i , 27), are governed by वरुण (just as the अप्सरसs are governed by सोम) S3Br. xiii A1s3vS3r. x , 7 , 3, know the best medicines ( AV. viii , 7 , 23 VS. xii , 98), regulate the course of the asterisms ( AV. xiii , 1 , 23 BhP. iv , 29 , 21 ; hence twenty-seven are mentioned VS. ix , 7), follow after women and are desirous of intercourse with them ( AV. S3Br. iii) ; as soon as a girl becomes marriageable , she belongs to सोम , the गन्धर्वs , and अग्नि ( Gr2ihya1s. ii , 19 f. Pan5cat. Sus3r. ) ; the wives of the गन्धर्वs are the अप्सरसs (cf. गन्धर्वा*प्सर्/अस्) , and like them the गन्धर्वs are invoked in gambling with dice ( AV. vii , 109 , 5) ; they are also feared as evil beings together with the राक्षसs , किमीदिन्s , पिशाचs , &c , amulets being worn as a protection against them ( AV. Sus3r. ) ; they are said to have revealed the वेदs to वाच् ( S3Br. iii ; cf. Pa1rGr2. ii , 12 , 2), and are called the preceptors of the ऋषिs ( S3Br. xi) ; पुरूरवस्is called among them (ib.) ; in epic poetry the गन्धर्वs are the celestial musicians or heavenly singers (cf. RV. x , 177 , 2) who form the orchestra at the banquets of the gods , and they belong together with the अप्सरसs to इन्द्र's heaven , sharing also in his battles ( Ya1jn5. i , 71 MBh. Hariv. &c ; cf. RTL. p.238) ; in the more systematic mythology the गन्धर्वs constitute one of the classes into which the higher creation is divided (i.e. gods , manes , गन्धर्वs AV. xi , 5 , 2; or gods , असुरs , गन्धर्वs , men TS. vii , 8 , 25 , 2 ; cf. S3Br. x ; or gods , men , गन्धर्वs , अप्सरसs , सर्पs , and manes AitBr. iii , 31 , 5 ; for other enumerations cf. Nir. iii , 8 Mn. i , 37 [ RTL. p.237] & iii , 196;vii , 23 ; xii , 47 Nal. &c ) ; divine and human गन्धर्वs are distinguished ( TUp. ii , 8 ; the divine or देव-गन्धर्वs are enumerated MBh. i , 2550 ff. and 4810 ff.) ; another passage names 11 classes of गन्धर्वs ( TA1r. i , 9 , 3) ; the chief or leader of the गन्धर्वs is named चित्र-रथ ( Bhag. x , 26) ; they are called the creatures of प्रजापति ( Mn. i , 37) or of ब्रह्मा ( Hariv. 11793) or of कश्यप (11850) or of the मुनिs ( MBh. i , 2550 Hariv. 11553) or of प्राधा ( MBh. i , 2556) or of अरिष्टा ( Hariv. 234VP. i , 21) or of वाच् ( PadmaP. ) ; with जैनs the गन्धर्वs constitute one of the eight classes of the व्यन्तरs].

Hieroglyph: tantiburra, tambura 'lyre, harp, string musical instrument' rebus: tambra 'copper'. Tamba (nt.) [Sk. tāmra, orig. adj.=dark coloured, leaden; cp. Sk. adj. taŋsra id., to tama] copper ("the dark metal"); usually in combinations, signifying colour of or made of (cp. loha bronze), e. g. lākhātamba (adj.) Th 2, 440 (colour of an ox); ˚akkhin Vv 323 (timira˚) Sdhp 286; ˚nakhin J vi.290; ˚nettā (f.) ibid.; ˚bhājana DhA i.395; ˚mattika DhA iv.106; ˚vammika DhA iii.208; ˚loha PvA 95 (=loha).(Pali)  tāmrá ʻ dark red, copper -- coloured ʼ VS., n. ʻ copper ʼ Kauś., tāmraka -- n. Yājñ. [Cf. tamrá -- . -- √tam?]Pa. tamba -- ʻ red ʼ, n. ʻ copper ʼ, Pk. taṁba -- adj. and n.; Dm. trāmba -- ʻ red ʼ (in trāmba -- lac̣uk ʻ raspberry ʼ NTS xii 192); Bshk. lām ʻ copper, piece of bad pine -- wood (< ʻ *red wood ʼ?); Phal. tāmba ʻ copper ʼ (→ Sh.koh. tāmbā), K. trām m. (→ Sh.gil. gur. trām m.), S. ṭrāmo m., L. trāmā, (Ju.) tarāmã̄ m., P. tāmbā m., WPah. bhad. ṭḷām n., kiũth. cāmbā, sod. cambo, jaun. tã̄bō, Ku. N. tāmo (pl. ʻ young bamboo shoots ʼ), A. tām, B. tã̄bā, tāmā, Or. tambā, Bi tã̄bā, Mth. tām, tāmā, Bhoj. tāmā, H. tām in cmpds., tã̄bā, tāmā m., G. trã̄bũ, tã̄bũ n.;M. tã̄bẽ n. ʻ copper ʼ, tã̄b f. ʻ rust, redness of sky ʼ; Ko. tāmbe n. ʻ copper ʼ; Si. tam̆ba adj. ʻ reddish ʼ, sb. ʻ copper ʼ, (SigGr) tam, tama. -- Ext. -- ira -- : Pk. taṁbira -- ʻ coppercoloured, red ʼ, L. tāmrā ʻ copper -- coloured (of pigeons) ʼ; -- with -- ḍa -- : S. ṭrāmiṛo m. ʻ a kind of cooking pot ʼ, ṭrāmiṛī ʻ sunburnt, red with anger ʼ, f. ʻ copper pot ʼ; Bhoj. tāmrā ʻ copper vessel ʼ; H. tã̄bṛā, tāmṛā ʻ coppercoloured, dark red ʼ, m. ʻ stone resembling a ruby ʼ; G. tã̄baṛ n., trã̄bṛī, tã̄bṛī f. ʻ copper pot ʼ; OM. tāṁbaḍā ʻ red ʼ. -- X trápu -- q.v. tāmrika -- ; tāmrakāra -- , tāmrakuṭṭa -- , *tāmraghaṭa -- , *tāmraghaṭaka -- , tāmracūḍa -- , *tāmradhāka -- , tāmrapaṭṭa -- , tāmrapattra -- , tāmrapātra -- , *tāmrabhāṇḍa -- , tāmravarṇa -- , tāmrākṣa -- .Addenda: tāmrá -- [< IE. *tomró -- T. Burrow BSOAS xxxviii 65] S.kcch. trāmo, tām(b)o m. ʻ copper ʼ, trāmbhyo m. ʻ an old copper coin ʼ; WPah.kc. cambo m. ʻ copper ʼ, J. cāmbā m., kṭg. (kc.) tambɔ m. (← P. or H. Him.I 89), Garh. tāmu, tã̄bu.tāmrakāra m. ʻ coppersmith ʼ lex. [tāmrá -- , kāra -- 1]Or. tāmbarā ʻ id. ʼ.tāmrakuṭṭa m. ʻ coppersmith ʼ R. [tāmrá -- , kuṭṭa -- ] N. tamauṭe, tamoṭe ʻ id. ʼ.Addenda: tāmrakuṭṭa -- : Garh. ṭamoṭu ʻ coppersmith ʼ; Ko. tāmṭi.

tāraká -- 1 see tārā -- Add2.*tāmraghaṭa ʻ copper pot ʼ. [tāmrá -- , ghaṭa -- 1]

Bi. tamheṛī ʻ round copper vessel ʼ; -- tamheṛā ʻ brassfounder ʼ der. *tamheṛ ʻ copper pot ʼ or < next?

 *tāmraghaṭaka ʻ copper -- worker ʼ. [tāmrá -- , ghaṭa -- 2]Bi. tamheṛā ʻ brass -- founder ʼ or der. fr. *tamheṛ see prec. tāmracūḍa ʻ red -- crested ʼ MBh., m. ʻ cock ʼ Suśr. [tāmrá -- , cūˊḍa -- 1]Pa. tambacūḷa -- m. ʻ cock ʼ, Pk. taṁbacūla -- m.; -- Si. tam̆basiluvā ʻ cock ʼ (EGS 61) either a later cmpd. (as in Pk.) or ← Pa. *tāmradhāka ʻ copper receptacle ʼ. [tāmrá -- , dhāká -- ]

Bi. tamahā ʻ drinking vessel made of a red alloy ʼ.

 tāmrapaṭṭa m. ʻ copper plate (for inscribing) ʼ Yājñ. [Cf. tāmrapattra -- . -- tāmrá -- , paṭṭa -- 1]
M. tã̄boṭī f. ʻ piece of copper of shape and size of a brick ʼ.

tāmrapattra n. ʻ copper plate (for inscribing) ʼ lex. [Cf. tāmrapaṭṭa -- . -- tāmrá -- , páttra -- ]
Ku.gng. tamoti ʻ copper plate ʼ.

tāmrapātra n. ʻ copper vessel ʼ MBh. [tāmrá -- , pāˊtra -- ]
Ku.gng. tamoi ʻ copper vessel for water ʼ.

*tāmrabhāṇḍa ʻ copper vessel ʼ. [tāmrá -- , bhāṇḍa -- 1]
Bhoj. tāmaṛā, tāmṛā ʻ copper vessel ʼ; G. tarbhāṇũ n. ʻ copper dish used in religious ceremonies ʼ (< *taramhã̄ḍũ).

 tāmravarṇa ʻ copper -- coloured ʼ TĀr. [tāmrá -- , várṇa -- 1]
Si. tam̆bavan ʻ copper -- coloured, dark red ʼ (EGS 61) prob. a Si. cmpd.

 tāmrākṣa ʻ red -- eyed ʼ MBh. [tāmrá -- , ákṣi -- ]
Pa. tambakkhin -- ; P. tamak f. ʻ anger ʼ; Bhoj. tamakhal ʻ to be angry ʼ; H. tamaknā ʻ to become red in the face, be angry ʼ.

tāmrika ʻ coppery ʼ Mn. [tāmrá -- ]
Pk. taṁbiya -- n. ʻ an article of an ascetic's equipment (a copper vessel?) ʼ; L. trāmī f. ʻ large open vessel for kneading bread ʼ, poṭh. trāmbī f. ʻ brass plate for kneading on ʼ; Ku.gng. tāmi ʻ copper plate ʼ; A. tāmi ʻ copper vessel used in worship ʼ; B. tāmī, tamiyā ʻ large brass vessel for cooking pulses at marriages and other ceremonies ʼ; H. tambiyā m. ʻ copper or brass vessel ʼ.(CDIAL 5779 to 5792).

The rationale for reading the lyre hypertext in Meluhha rebus renderings is provided by the following seal m290 which shows a 'onager' as a sign on the Indus Script inscription:

m290 Mohenjo-daro seal. Decipherment: kola 'tiger' Rebus; kolle 'blacksmith' kol 'working in iron' kole.l 'smithy, temple' kolimi 'smithy, forge' PLUS pattar 'trough' Rebus: pattar 'guild of goldsmiths'. panja 'feline paw' rebus: panja 'kiln, furnace'

ṭāṅka ʻleg, thighʼ (Oriya) rebus:  ṭaṅka 'mint'

khar 'ass, onager' (Kashmiri) rebus: khār खार् 'blacksmith' khāra-- basta f. ʻ blacksmith's skin bellows ʼ (Kashmiri)(CDIAL 9424)