Ancient Near East, Anatolia (central Turkey) or northern Syria, Tell Halaf area, ca. 6500 to 4500 BCE. A lovely pottery fertility figure depicting a seated woman with voluptuous breasts held aloft by curved arms and thighs that emphasize her fruitfulness. She features sloping shoulders which taper inward to a slender neck, and her rod-shaped head displays only a prominent pinched nose and a pinched coiffure. Faint traces of original orange pigment are visible along the legs, arms, and breasts. As early as the 7th millennium BCE, cultures in the Near East began creating organized settlements with highly developed religious as well as funerary practices. The Halaf culture of Anatolia (central Turkey) and northern Syria produced mesmerizing female figurines with fertility attributes. Whether images like these were intended to represent real, ideal, or divine women is unknown; however, scholars believe that their primary purpose was to encourage female fertility. Size: 1.9" W x 3.8" H (4.8 cm x 9.7 cm).
For a stylistically-similar example, please see The Brooklyn Museum, accession number 1990.14: https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/124145
This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full report will accompany purchase.
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection
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#142138
Condition
Repair to head, both arms, and remaining leg, with restoration to exterior of remaining leg. Loss to one leg, small nicks to head, body, and remaining leg, with fading to original pigmentation, and light encrustations within some recessed areas. Light earthen deposits throughout. Two TL test holes: behind left arm, and underneath posterior.