Rare Syro-Hittite Terracotta Votive Chariot, TL Tested

Near East, Levant, Syria, Syro-Hittite, ca. 1500 to 1000 BCE. A hand-modeled pottery votive chariot with high and low sides. The high back of the piece is decorated with several registers of incised arrows. The original wheels have been remounted. This piece is part of a long tradition in the ancient Near East of pottery figures depicting both religious themes and themes of everyday life. A worshipper would have given this chariot as a ritual offering and it probably once had associated figures such as oxen, humans, and even small gifts like food placed inside of it. The chariot symbolized the war-like nature of the gods - Hittite chariots were used in battle, and are frequently seen in carved reliefs running over the bodies of enemies! Size: 4.75" L x 6.75" W x 6.45" H (12.1 cm x 17.1 cm x 16.4 cm)

This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full report will accompany purchase.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Richard Wagner collection, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, acquired in the 1960s

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#147923
Condition Report: Cross bars for the wheels have been replaced with modern metal. The wheels and body are intact, with signs of wear including small chips and nicks commensurate with age. Really nice deposits and patina on the surface.