Syro-Hittite / Levantine Terracotta Rare Syro-Hittite Terracotta Votive Chariot with Two Wheels - 10 cm

Rare hand-modelled Syro-Hittite terracotta chariot dating to the 2nd millennium BC. The model consists of a robustly formed chariot body accompanied by two separately made, large disc wheels with prominently modelled central hubs.

Above the transverse axle housing rises a highly stylised superstructure. Particularly distinctive are the two large adjacent pierced loops forming the upper section. On the opposite side is a strongly projecting, yoke-like element, possibly associated with the construction of the vehicle or with the original attachment of a draught team.

The two substantial disc wheels were separately formed in terracotta and centrally pierced, allowing them to be mounted on a continuous axle. The deliberately simplified yet striking construction is characteristic of ancient terracotta vehicle models from the Levant and wider Ancient Near Eastern cultural sphere.

Cultural Context

Miniature wheeled vehicles and chariot models in terracotta are known from various cultures of the Bronze Age Near East and Levant. They have been interpreted as votive offerings, symbolic or ritual objects, and miniature representations of actual vehicles. Wheeled transport and chariots held practical as well as social, ceremonial and military significance during the Bronze Age.

Related terracotta chariot models are preserved in the Musée du Louvre, Département des Antiquités orientales. The Louvre collection also demonstrates the broader and long-lived tradition of terracotta two-wheeled chariot representations in the ancient Levant.

Without a documented archaeological find context, the precise original function of the present model cannot be determined conclusively. Its construction and format are nevertheless consistent with the tradition of miniature wheeled vehicles used as models or symbolic objects.

Musée du Louvre – Inv. AO 12292 A, B, C

Age-related archaeological condition with earthy patina, mineral deposits, surface wear and minor chips and losses. Both separately manufactured terracotta disc wheels are preserved. Minor losses to the superstructure. The wooden axle is a later replacement, added to mount and display the original terracotta wheels. The modern display stand shown in the photographs is not included in the sale.

Provenance:
Formerly in the Madeleine & Erich Dammann Collection, Germany. Acquired during the owners' extensive travels between 1950 and 1970. The collection has been documented in Germany since 1970 and remained in continuous family ownership thereafter. As was customary for private purchases made in local markets during the 1950s–1970s, purchase receipts or invoices were generally neither issued nor requested. The provenance is documented through continuous family ownership, historical photographs, and supporting biographical records.