Syro-Hittite Bronze Idol

£ 600.00

A small Syro-Hittite Levantine bronze stylized votive statue of a deity with raised hands. The figure is wearing a headdress and has a flattened face with a beak-like nose and wide eyes. It is discernible that the deity is wearing a collar and long robes.

Date: Circa 2nd-1st Millennium BC
Provenance: Property of a London gentleman, acquired from a major Mayfair gallery. Acquired on the London art market before 2000.
Condition: Very fine. Patina covers the surface. The item is mounted on a custom-made stand.

SOLD

Product Code: NES-30
Category: Tags: ,

The Neo-Hittite civilisation, also known as Syro-Hittite, existed during the Iron Age in northern Syria and Southern Anatolia, modern day southern Turkey. The Hittite empire collapsed around 1180 BC and fragmented into many minor states, collectively named Syro-Hittite states. Along with the fall of the empire, most of the Eastern Mediterranean trade networks ceased to exist, involving in this fall some of the major late Bronze Age cities in the area. Many of these small bronzes would have served as votive offerings for cult worship, though they did not represent the cult images themselves. They would have been placed prominently amongst other statues, pottery, jewellery, and weapons, in order to gain the favour of relevant supernatural forces. If not displayed publicly, these bronze statuettes might have served as idols in private homes.

To discover more about the Syro-Hittites, please visit our relevant post: Civilisations of the Ancient Near East.

Dimensions H 13 cm
Metal

Bronze

Region

Near East (Western Asiatic)