Late Neolithic / Chalcolithic pottery anthropomorphic idol fragment - 5 cm

Late Neolithic / Chalcolithic Pottery Anthropomorphic Idol Fragment

Culture / Period: Late Neolithic / Chalcolithic
Date / Period: ca. 5000–3000 B.C.
Material: Pottery
Dimensions: 37 mm
Condition: Good condition

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Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 678

The current owner purchased the Late Neolithic / Chalcolithic pottery anthropomorphic idol fragment from a private collector, N.N.

The previous owner, a private collector, N.N. from the Netherlands, stated that the object had been in his collection since the 1990s.

According to the previous owner, the object had previously been in a private collection in the Netherlands since the 1990s.

No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object was available from the previous owner.

Background Information:
This hand-modelled pottery fragment represents the upper body of an anthropomorphic idol dating to the Late Neolithic or Chalcolithic period. Although incomplete, the surviving torso and outstretched arms preserve the characteristic stylised form commonly associated with prehistoric human figurines. Incised linear decoration on the reverse may represent clothing, body ornamentation, or other symbolic features applied before firing.

Anthropomorphic figurines are among the most distinctive artefacts of Europe's first farming communities. Their exact purpose remains uncertain, but they are generally interpreted as objects connected with ritual practices, household devotion, ancestor veneration, fertility, or expressions of social identity. Many examples have been recovered from settlements, while others were intentionally deposited or deliberately broken, suggesting they held symbolic significance beyond everyday use.

Each figurine was individually modelled by hand from carefully prepared clay and fired in simple kilns or open hearths. While no two examples are identical, they belong to a long-established artistic tradition that flourished across prehistoric Europe during the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods, reflecting shared beliefs and cultural practices among early agricultural societies.

Dating to approximately 5000–3000 B.C., this idol fragment belongs to a period marked by permanent settlement, expanding exchange networks, and the emergence of early copper metallurgy alongside traditional stone technologies. It forms a tangible connection to prehistoric Europe, where symbolic representations of the human figure played an important role in the spiritual and cultural life of early farming communities.