Near East, Anatolia, Early Bronze Age II, ca. 2700 to 2300 BCE. A Kusura-type - also known as violin type - marble idol of extremely simplified anthropomorphic form. The idol is hand-carved into a thin sheet with a round head, conical neck, and trapezoidal body. Kusura idols come from the village of Kusura in southeastern modern-day Turkey. Votive idols like this one are known in a variety of fascinating forms throughout the pre-literate ancient world. From the truly abstract Kilia-type figures that are barely recognizable as human to the exaggerated feminine shapes of so-called "Venus" figures, people in the past, as today, had a clear desire to portray human forms and did not feel constrained by naturalism. Comes with custom stand. Size: 2.5" W x 4.25" H (6.4 cm x 10.8 cm); height on stand: 5.8" (14.7 cm).

See a very similar example at the Espoo Museum, Finland: http://emma.museum/en/node/3257

Provenance: private New Jersey USA collection, acquired over twenty years ago

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#121593

Intact with slight encrustations.