Mesopotamian Tel Brak calcite Eye Idol

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£800.00

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A calcite votive idol in the form of an abstract torso surmounted by a pair of prominent incised eyes.

This distinctive type of figure, also known as an Eye Idol is thought to represent a human form, the large eyes meaning attentiveness to the gods. These figure were found in their thousands at the Eye Temple of Tel Brak, usually appearing as single figure, sometimes pairs and sometimes as “parents” with smaller figures carved in the foreground.

Culture
Northern Mesopotamia, probably Tel Brak, late Uruk Period, c. 3300-3000 BC

Size
4.6 x 3.4 cms

Condition
Surface wear and small losses as seen in the photographs, the stone has been conserved and stabilised from further erosion

Provenance
Ex. deceased estate, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; acquired late 20th Century

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