Neolithic Idol of a Seated Fertility Goddess

Culture: Western Mesopotamia

Period: 4th millennium B.C.

Material: Black stone

Dimensions: 2.2 cm high

Price: Sold

Ref: 6417

Provenance: French private collection Marcel Guillemant (1926-2017), acquired from Christie's in the early 2000s.

Condition: Head is missing.

Description: Finely worked out idol of a fertility goddess ("Venus") made of black stone with a protruding buttocks. The goddess is depicted seated, the long thin arms are separated by a perforation from the body and resting on her lap. The lower body tapering and the private part is indicated by an incision on the front. The bottom is flat. Possibly from the Syrian-Mesopotamian region.