A mysterious token from the dawn of Western culture, this stone votive was originally offered at the shrine of a powerful god. Along with a cache of related objects, it was discovered near Lake Van in Armenia. The deity whose favor it sought was apparently a nature god, associated also with fertility and rebirth. This superb sculpture depicts a hollow-eyed votary confronting a bird head that grows organically from his body. In this ancient cult, the bird seems associated with the concept of the soul, and this perhaps represents a transformation in the afterlife. The image engraved on the bottom of the votive depicts a seated idol. Pressed into soft wax or clay, it would have created 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 primal but not completely forgotten.