Northern Mesopotamian Tell Halaf Idol

Culture: Nort Mespotamia

Period: 5th millennium B.C.

Material: Terracotta

Dimensions: 8.5 cm high

Price: Sold

Ref: 6548

Provenance: Bavarian private collection A. D.-U., acquired prior to 1990. Since then in a family estate. Last in the German art market. With a TL-test.

Condition: Layers of encrustation, especially on the legs, but intact and unrestored.

Description: Beautifully preserved terracotta idol of the Tell Halaf type, named after the late Neolithic settlement hill in the northeast of Syria. The figure depicts a seated woman with the typical fertility features. Her unstructured legs with the voluptuous thighs tapering towards the front. She holds her large round breasts up with her arms. The neck merges directly to the cone-like head. In her face the eyes are gently indicated. The woman wears a turban-like headcover, with its end cascading at the back. With remains of brown and ochre coloured painting. A rare idol in this condition. With a TL analysis of 24 April 2024 confirming the age of the figure.