Ancient Near East, Anatolia (central Turkey) or northern Syria, Tell Halaf area, ca. 6500 to 4500 BCE. A petite terracotta fertility figure depicted a seated woman with voluptuous breasts and thighs that emphasize her fruitfulness. Dark pigment striations adorn her arms, legs, and chest, and faint painted details remain on her face. The mother goddess was modeled in clay, dried in the sun, and then painted with patterns that may represent tattoos or jewelry. A very strong and remarkably-early example! Size: 1" W x 2.25" H (2.5 cm x 5.7 cm).

As early as the 7th millennium BCE, cultures in the Near East began creating organized settlements with highly developed religious as well as funerary practices. The Halaf culture of Anatolia (central Turkey) and northern Syria produced mesmerizing female figurines with fertility attributes. Whether images like these were intended to represent real, ideal, or divine women is unknown; however, scholars believe that their primary purpose was to encourage female fertility.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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#137191

Surface wear and minor abrasions commensurate with age, light fading to pigmentation, small chips and nicks to legs, body, and head, and light roughness across most surfaces. Light earthen deposits throughout.