Near East, Turkey, Anatolia, Neolithic / Chalcolithic, ca. 5500 to 4300 BCE. A wonderful and rare hand-built pottery head with an elongated brow, impressed narrowed eyes, slight protuberance where the nose was, and a slit-like mouth. Flanking the head are slight impressions as ears, and from the back is a neck-like outcrop that would have attached the rest of the body. Remains of red slip on the brow and cheeks allude to what the completed piece would have looked like. Ancient idols like this one that reduce the human figure to minimalist shapes and lines are considered some of our oldest abstract art; indeed, this piece is 8000 years old! This enigmatic figure is fascinating, and we can only guess at the meaning or use - perhaps an idol of a fertility figure, deity, or even a tomb attendant! Size: 2.65" L x 2" W (6.7 cm x 5.1 cm); 4.75" H (12.1 cm) on included custom stand.
This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full printed and bound report is available for $50 to the buyer. Please contact us to request.
Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
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A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance),
we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#137147
Condition
Fragment of a larger piece. Losses to chin, nose, and surface abrasions. Remains of brown and beige slip. One TL hole on verso.