Western Asia, Anatolia, Early Bronze Age II, ca. 2700 to 2400 BCE. A creamy brown marble idol of the kilia (kiliya) variety from the Cycladic sculptural tradition, with the rare body remaining (rather than the head, which is more commonly found). The body is roughly triangular in shape, with deep, narrow cuts forming the wide arms and giving the impression of a narrow waist and wide hips. The body tapers from the hips down to a conical single leg. Kilia are highly stylized female figures made throughout the Mediterranean during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age. They are characterized by bulbous heads, long necks, and flat bodies with wide, flipper-like arms. When first made, their faces would have had painted details like eyes, but the bodies do not seem to have been painted. Comes with custom stand. Size: 2.6" W x 4" H (6.6 cm x 10.2 cm); height on stand: 4.9" (12.5 cm)

Votive idols like this one are known in a variety of fascinating forms throughout the pre-literate ancient world. From this truly abstract kilia figure 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. Figures like these seem to be portraying worshippers rather than gods, and we believe that they were small enough that ordinary people could have owned them and kept them on home altars. Still others are found clustered in temples.

Provenance: private Swiss collection

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Piece is a fragment, with patina from touch and age. Head and base are ancient losses.