Near Eastern Syro-Hittite Terracotta Idol

£ 750.00

A standing statue of a Syro-Hittite terracotta female idol. The figure appears to be wearing hoop earrings and an incised diadem. Eyes are pierced, the holes representing pupils. A massive necklace is applied on the pectoral area; the hands are folded and touching the necklace. Fully clothed in a long garment.

Date: Circa 2nd-1st Millennium BC
Condition: Very fine, chipped elbow, visible earthen residue.

SOLD

Product Code: NES-11
Category: Tags: ,

Terracotta was a favoured material for idols in the Near East. These types of figurines usually have columnar and flat bodies with heads and torsos decorated with appliques and incisions. Some of them might have represented gods, particularly female deities that ensured fertility. However, it is more likely that they represented worshipers. Due to the protruding nose, figurines such as this are characterised as having bird-like faces. They are usually 12-30 cm in height, found in graves or under the floors of the houses. The Neo-Hittite civilisation, also known as Syro-Hittite, existed during the Iron Age in modern day northern Syria and Southern Anatolia. The Hittite empire collapsed around 1180 BC. This event was followed by the decline of the Eastern Mediterranean trade networks along with the fall of the major late Bronze Age cities in the Levant, Anatolia, and the Aegean.

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

Dimensions H 14.2 cm
Pottery

Terracotta

Region

Near East (Western Asiatic)

Reference: For a similar item, The Brooklyn Museum, accession number 51.117.

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