A mysterious token from the dawn of Western civilization, this stone votive was offered thousands of years ago at the shrine of a powerful god. With a cache of related artifacts, it was discovered along the shores of Lake Van in Turkey. The deity whose favor it sought was apparently a nature god, associated also with fertility and rebirth. This superb statue depicts a reclining votary confronting the head of a bird that springsfromtheoppositeendofthesculpture.Inthisancientcult,thebirdseemsassociated withtheideaofthesoul,perhapsatransformationintheafterlife.Theimageengravedonthebottom of the votive depicts a seated idol. Pressed into soft wax or clay, it would have produced 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 ancient but not completely forgotten. - (D.0037)Man/Bird Votive Figure With An Intaglio-D.0037Origin: Lake Van,Anatolia Circa: 4000 BC to 3000 BCDimensions: 1.625" (4.1cm) high x 2.5" (6.4cm) wide Collection: Near Eastern Style:Neolithic
Medium: Dickite

Antiquities
Ancient Near East