A carved limestone figural seat modelled as a goddess in the ancient Greek manner , 19th century, her arms forming the sides, her draped thighs and knees forming the seat, to twin paw feet at the front, 132cm high, 76cm wide, 58cm deep Representations of seated female deities were produced in the ancient Mediterranean world from the earliest times, the Neolithic settlement of Catal Hoyuk in Anatolia having yeilded an example probably representing Gaia, the Earth Mother dating to circa 7500 BC. At a later point, Persephone and Hera were also depicted in this way, an example from Tarentum, Magna Graecia, dating to circa 470 BC and currently held at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin being comparable