This is an outstanding artwork dating back to the Neolithic period. The Neolithic period was a time of enormous change, of transitions from a highly mobile foraging existence to one of sedentary agriculture, accompanied by social and biological changes as the nature of society itself was transformed. The earliest manifestations of this are to be found in the Near and Middle East, where tiny villages in fertile areas grew and grew as the new ways of life began to take effect. From there, the social and technological advancements of the new age spread across the Mediterranean and beyond.

Perhaps most dramatic, for our purposes, were the magico-religious transformations, that gave rise to the first representation of human forms in sculpture. Humanity did not always make sculpture, but when they started to do so, one of the first things they made were representation of humans, a great testament to the introspective vocation of our species. Interpreting the significance of art at such a remove from ourselves is of course problematic, but the elongation of features seems of particular interest. The face is rendered in a triangular shape, The eyes are large and approximately almond shaped. The nose is represented as an elongated vertical ridge. The mouth is rendered with another cut.

The reasons behind the choice to render human features in such a peculiar fashion are far from clear, but it seems that artists during the Neolithic period when not particularly concerned about the naturalistic fidelity of their representation, but rather privileged the magic-ritual meaning and import of the artefacts they realised.

This is an exceptional piece of art, bearing witness to the most enigmatic and fascinating times at the dawn of civilisation, and befitting the most discerning collectors.