Anatolian Bronze Standing Female Idol Figure

**Originally Listed At $250**

Ancient Near East, Anatolia, Syro-Hittite, ca. 2nd millennium BCE. A cast-bronze idol figure of a highly-abstract female form. The idol presents with a tapered pin-shaped lower body, a thick upper body with rounded breasts, wide shoulders with attenuated arms protruding from the sides, and a thick neck. The characteristically tall head boasts discoid eyes, a classic Mesopotamian beak-form nose, and curved ears, all beneath a conical helmet. Thick layers of green and dark-brown patina have formed across the entire figure. Size: 0.9" W x 3.25" H (2.3 cm x 8.3 cm); 3.6" H (9.1 cm) on included custom stand.

Bronze votive idols like these are known in a variety of fascinating forms throughout the pre-literate ancient world. Small figures like these seem to be portraying worshippers rather than gods, and we believe that they were small enough that, even though they were made of bronze, ordinary people could have owned them and kept them on home altars. Many people from the ancient Near East are found buried with items like this one.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#141820
Condition Report: Reconstructed from roughly four or five pieces, with light resurfacing along break lines. Small loss to tip of lower body, with softening to some finer details, and light encrustations. Nice earthen deposits and great green and brown patina throughout.