**First Time At Auction**
Ancient Central Asia, Indus Valley, Mehrgarh culture, ca. 3500 to 2800 BCE. A hand-built pottery female fertility idol of a characteristically abstract form with slender limbs, a corseted waistline beneath globular breasts, and a pectoral decorated with applied orange pigment. The elongated head features a pair of large, impressed eyes, a petite nose above full lips, and a tall forehead framed with a dark coiffure and a lighter headwrap. The cream-hued surfaces of the figure imbue it with an uncomplicated and attractive presentation. Size: 1.8" W x 4.9" H (4.6 cm x 12.4 cm); 5.4" H (13.7 cm) on included custom stand.
Figurines of women are perhaps the most plentiful of the figurines in the Indus Valley. The reason for this is unknown, but some researchers have proposed that women were particularly revered in that society, perhaps relating to their roles as mothers. Studies of burial sites at Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa have shown that a man was often buried with his wife's family. The female figurines are easily distinguished by a curving, pear-shaped body with large protruding breasts. The effect of these female figurines is two-fold: it emphasizes the beauty, and phallic/sexual nature of the female; but at the same time, cherishes the nurturing, motherly nature of the female. The figurines of the women tend to also be heavily ornamented.
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.
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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.
#136997
Condition
Professional restoration to both arms and areas of lower body below waist, with resurfacing and overpainting along new material and break lines. Encrustations and abrasions commensurate with age, with softening to some finer features, and light fading to original pigment. Nice preservation to overall form. TL drill hole behind head.