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HOME :
Near Eastern Art :
Neolithic Artefacts : Man/Bird Votive Figure with an Intaglio
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Man/Bird Votive Figure with an Intaglio - PF.1461
Origin: Lake Van, Anatolia
Circa: 4000
BC
to 3000
BC
Dimensions:
1" (2.5cm) high
x 2.125" (5.4cm) wide
x .5" (1.3cm) depth
Collection: Near Eastern
Medium: Dickite
$5,000.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
A mysterious token from the dawn of Western culture, this stone votive was originally offered at the shrine of a powerful god. Along with a cache of related objects, it was discovered near Lake Van in Armenia. The deity whose favor it sought was apparently a nature god, associated also with fertility and rebirth. This superb sculpture depicts a hollow-eyed votary confronting a bird head that grows organically from his body. In this ancient cult, the bird seems associated with the concept of the soul, and this perhaps represents a transformation in the afterlife. The image engraved on the bottom of the votive depicts a seated idol. Pressed into soft wax or clay, it would have created multiple images to please the heavens. The effect of this rare sculpture is powerful and haunting. It touches a chord deep in the soul, something primal but not completely forgotten.
- (PF.1461)
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