Rare Syro-Hittite Terracotta Votive Chariot

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: 5.65" W x 5.05" H (14.4 cm x 12.8 cm)

Provenance: The Dere Family Collection, New York, USA, assembled 1970s-2000s; ex-Richard Wagner Collection, Massachusetts, USA, acquired in 1970s

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#147922
Condition Report: The upper back of the chariot is lost; otherwise it is in nice condition with great deposits on the surface. The wheels have been reattached.