Anatolian Kilia Type Marble Figurine, 3300 BCE - 3000 BCE
Marble
height 12 cm
height 4 3/4 in
height 4 3/4 in
LI.3266
This figure appears to resemble those made throughout the Aegean basin during the prehistoric period, including in the region of ancient Anatolia (present-day Turkey), where this figure is thought to...
This figure appears to resemble those made throughout the Aegean basin during the prehistoric period, including in the region of ancient Anatolia (present-day Turkey), where this figure is thought to have originated. This stylised figure, most likely representing the female form, displays the characteristic features of the Kilia type of female figurines- such as a bulbous head, long neck and simplified body. Incisions on the front of the figure, which seem to highlight the hips and pubic area, further suggest this figure is female. It could be suggested that this figure is linked with fertility and the life cycle, a central spiritual concern in the ancient Mediterranean. In fact, the simplified yet elegant expression of the pubic triangle continuing in a cut symbolically dividing the two legs is one of the most characteristic elements of this artefact. The portrayal of the pubic triangle clearly denotes then link of this figurine to fertility cults. The face is essentially triangular, with a ridge marking the nose and two tiny eyes. The only interruption to the surface is the beak-like protrusion from the centre of the face.
A culture very much related to that of the Cyclades existed in the Levant during the later Neolithic period. A preference for highly schematic and reductive figurines, predominantly female, is also very common to both. These female figurines represent in all probability the Mother Goddess and are linked to notions of fertility, while their schematic simplicity is typical of the Neolithic Age, when they were made in a variety of materials. The fact that such figurines have been unearthed in urban surroundings and small domestic shrines suggests that they were used for daily worship purposes.
References: this figure resembles that currently found in Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland Museum of Arts 1993.165)
A culture very much related to that of the Cyclades existed in the Levant during the later Neolithic period. A preference for highly schematic and reductive figurines, predominantly female, is also very common to both. These female figurines represent in all probability the Mother Goddess and are linked to notions of fertility, while their schematic simplicity is typical of the Neolithic Age, when they were made in a variety of materials. The fact that such figurines have been unearthed in urban surroundings and small domestic shrines suggests that they were used for daily worship purposes.
References: this figure resembles that currently found in Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland Museum of Arts 1993.165)