Ancient Central Asia, Indus Valley, Mehrgarh culture, ca. 3500 to 2800 BCE. A splendid pottery figure of a woman holding a petite child. The stylized female sits with legs together, presenting a voluptuous body with a slender waist, huge breasts, square shoulders, and attenuated arms. She is depicted nude, save for several layers of necklaces and a sizeable headdress, both adorned with incised dots. Gazing forward, her abstract visage exhibits annular, drilled eyes, a pinched nose, and full lips. Her right arm bends at the elbow to rest below her bosom as she holds her child on her left side. The adorable youth is also embellished by a large headdress and necklace and faces its mother, showing pierced eyes and a narrow nose. Size: 2.1" W x 5.5" H (5.3 cm x 14 cm); 6.3" H (16 cm) on included custom stand.

Figurines of women are perhaps the most plentiful of the figurines in the Indus Valley. The reason for this is unknown, but some researchers have proposed that women were particularly revered in that society, perhaps relating to their roles as mothers. Studies of burial sites at Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa have shown that a man was often buried with his wife's family. The female figurines are easily distinguished by a curving, pear-shaped body with large protruding breasts. The effect of these female figurines is two-fold: it emphasizes the beauty, and phallic/sexual nature of the female; but at the same time, cherishes the nurturing, motherly nature of the female. The figurines of the women tend to also be heavily ornamented.

Provenance: private Lumberton, Texas, USA collection, acquired before 2010

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#169531

Professionally repaired and restored. Break line visible on proper left arm of mother figure. Losses to lower legs and feet of mother. Some expected surface wear commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with impressive remaining details.