This attractive ceramic sculpture is a votive figure from the middle of the first millennium BC, and represents a deity in the Phoenician pantheon. It is comparatively compact, and perfectly proportioned. It depicts a woman standing upon a rectangular, integral base, wearing a tunic and a long robe that covers her body from her feet to the crown of her head. Her pose is full-square, her legs together and her stomach and breasts protruding – perhaps a sign of pregnancy. Her face is serene and well-modelled, with slight brows, rounded cheeks and a pursed mouth, all framed by her scarf (or the end of her robe) which lies over her hair. The hand position is unusual – the right hand is raised in what is generally assumed to be benediction, while the left is raised towards the neck. This position is markedly rarer than other forms in Phoenician shrine figures, especially the left hand gathering up the train of the robe (as seen in other pieces in this collection). This piece combines reflective serenity with a powerful austerity, which has much in common with the Archaic Period Greek statues which the Phoenicians helped to inspire. The back of the piece is almost completely plain, implying that it was always meant to be viewed from the front rather than in the round, which is appropriate for figures destined for shrines. The piece retains some calcareous concretions from its long interment in the Mediterranean, and has some damage to the right side of the head (not affecting the face).

Antiquities
Ancient Near East