The tradition to which this lovely sculpture belongs was already ancient when it was carved at the end of the Classical age. In form she evokes the ivory snake goddesses of Minoan Crete (ca.1500 BC); in her function as a patroness of fertility and sexuality she resembles the Astarte figures of the Bronze Age (ca.2000 BC). In spite of her youthful figures, this little Aphrodite seems well aware of her age-old duties. The traces of gold paint that adorn this charming figure suggest her importance as a devotional object. We wonder who might have sought the blessings of the goddess of love when the pagan world was in its lingering twilight.