Levant Terracotta Ancient Near Eastern Terracotta ‘Astarte’ Figure - 13 cm

Hand-modelled terracotta female figure of the so-called "Astarte" type, standing frontally on a long, tapering lower body with a flaring foot. The stylised head displays large almond-shaped eyes, a slender neck, and characteristic curled side-locks. The short projecting arms are broken, while the chest is adorned with a carefully modelled necklace or draped collar rendered with incised decoration. The reverse is plain, with a series of incised vertical lines below the neck.

Figures of this type are associated with the cult of fertility and protection in the ancient Levant and rank among the most characteristic terracotta votive figures of the Late Bronze Age.

Condition: Ancient break across the lower body, reattached. Minor losses to the arms and upper head. Surface wear, encrustations and weathering consistent with age. Otherwise well preserved.

Provenance

Formerly in the Madeleine & Erich Dammann Collection, Germany.

Acquired during the collectors’ extensive travels between 1950 and 1970. The collection is documented in Germany by 1970 through historical photographs of the family residence and subsequently remained in continuous family ownership.

The objects were acquired privately during the collectors’ travels. As was customary for private purchases made at local markets during the 1950s and 1960s, purchase receipts or invoices were generally neither issued nor requested.

Historical photographs and biographical documentation relating to the Dammann Collection are available and support the long-standing provenance of the collection.



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