Seated Terracotta Statuette
Seated Terracotta Statuette
Like almost all Syrian terracotta statuettes dated to this period, this figurine was hand-modeled in a very stylized, almost instinctive manner; it is seated on a simplified stool.
2nd millenium B.C.
H: 7.9 cm
In stock
Product Description
Like almost all Syrian terracotta statuettes dated to this period, this figurine was hand-modeled in a very stylized, almost instinctive manner; it is seated on a simplified stool.
The gender of the figure represented can not be confidently determined: the gesture of the hands placed on the chest is, however, a characteristic of female iconography. The rich adornment (necklace, diadem) would also indicate that we are in the presence of a female figure. As always in Near Eastern art, the eyes are huge, expressing the attitude of contemplation between the dedicator of the ex-voto and the deity.
There are many variations for this type of effigies, which are difficult to precisely identify: some female statuettes with an elaborate headdress represent Inanna/Ishtar (the goddess of war and love), others figurines would portray the female dedicator, other male examples represent warriors, others, like our statuette, are seated, etc.
The formal simplicity does nevertheless not diminish the archaeological and religious importance of Mesopotamian terracotta works: like the sacred images of our patron saints, often dedicated in a church or in a small rock shrine, they are a valuable evidence of ancient popular devotion.
