Roman Bone Sculpture of Venus / Aphrodite

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 4th century BCE. A rare rendering of the goddess of beauty, passion, and love finely carved from deer, bull, or ox bone. Her form is skillfully carved and incised with delicate facial features - wide open eyes, a pointy nose, and an open mouth revealing teeth - this visage topped by a bow-shaped coiffure and supported by a neck with incised rings encircling it, and a slender body with wide hips wrapped by a long skirt with an incised diamond pattern down the front and nicely delineated drapery folds along the sides - and to either side of her chest are the remains of her arms which extend outward . In addition, nice remains of pigment as well as traces of gold paint suggest that she was a highly coveted devotional object. Size: 1.4" W x 7.55" H (3.6 cm x 19.2 cm)

What makes this Venus (Greek Aphrodite) votive particularly intriguing is the fact that when she was created, she was already understood to belong to an ancient tradition, evoking the famous Minoan snake goddesses of Crete (ca. 1500 BCE). Furthermore, as a patron goddess of fertility and sexuality, she also could have been inspired by the Astarte figures of the even earlier Bronze Age (ca.2000 BCE).

Provenance: ex-Barakat Gallery, Beverly Hills, California, USA, acquired prior to 2000

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#155907
Condition Report: Repaired from two pieces below waist. Losses on arms and back of lower legs as shown. The bone is lightly weathered with some shallow fissures along its vertical length. Small chips and nicks but form, details, and much of the original pigment is very well preserved.