Syro-Hittite Pottery Standing Astarte Figure

Ancient Near East, Northern Syria, Syro-Hittite, ca. early 2nd millennium BCE. A hand-built pottery figure of the goddess Astarte that stands atop fused legs with a stippled waist band. Her feminine figure is defined by wide hips, a narrow abdomen that tapers to broad shoulders and attenuated arms, exposed breasts, and a textured necklace around her neck. Her abstract countenance is composed of large, hoop-shaped eyes, a perky nose, tab-shaped ears with two perforations each, and a tall headdress. Researchers believe that the figure's wide eyes serve to emphasize attentiveness and religious devotion to the gods in the ancient Near East. Astarte is the goddess who is also known as Ishtar in some parts of Mesopotamia and is associated with femininity, motherhood, and war. Size: 1.25" W x 4.7" H (3.2 cm x 11.9 cm)

Provenance: private J. Hallen collection, Beaverton, Oregon, USA, acquired around 2007; ex-Tom Cederlind collection, Portland, Oregon, USA

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#151094
Condition Report: Minor nicks and abrasions to body, arms, and head, with light encrustations, and softening to some finer details, otherwise intact and very good. Light earthen deposits throughout.