腓尼基 Terracotta 带着孩子的女性雕像。高38厘米。精美。罕见。

Female ritual pose figure with a child

- very nice and pretty -

Phoenician, Ca. 6th - 4th century BC

Terracotta and marine concretions

38 cm height.

Provenance:
- Private colecction, Paris, 1970’s.

Condition: Very good, intact, see photos.


Phoenician votive terracottas are small clay sculptures that played an important role in the religious practices of the Phoenician world, especially between the 8th and 4th centuries BC. These pieces, found mainly in sanctuaries and necropolises in the eastern and western Mediterranean (such as in Tyre, Carthage or Sicily), were offerings dedicated to divinities to ask for favours, to thank for blessings or to ensure protection.

The figures usually represent human faces, female bodies, divinities or figures in a prayerful attitude. Some show specific attributes that link them to gods such as Astarte, the goddess of fertility and love, or Melqart, associated with royalty and protection. Many of these pieces were produced in moulds, which facilitated their mass production, although there are also examples that were hand-modelled in great detail.

The study of these terracottas provides valuable information on the iconography, beliefs and cultural connections of the Phoenicians with other Mediterranean civilisations. Indeed, a clear Egyptian, Greek and Mesopotamian influence can be observed in the styles and motifs depicted. Beyond their religious function, these figurines reflect the symbolic richness of Phoenician society and their ability to integrate and adapt elements from different cultures into their own spiritual practices.

Some Phoenician votive terracottas have been found in underwater contexts, especially in ancient ports, maritime routes or in areas close to coastal sanctuaries. These pieces, having remained submerged for centuries, have marine concretions on their surface, such as layers of calcium carbonate, remains of shells, calcified algae or small attached organisms.

The appearance of these terracottas in the sea can be explained by a variety of reasons: shipwrecks of vessels carrying votive objects, deliberate ritual sinkings or coastal erosion that washed away materials from ancient sacred sites. In some cases, the objects were thrown into the sea as part of ritual offerings to maritime divinities or protectors of seafarers, a common practice in the Phoenician world given its close relationship with trade and navigation.

The marine concretions that cover these pieces not only provide data on their time underwater, but also help to establish chronologies and trade routes. However, these layers can hide iconographic or morphological details, so their cleaning and study requires specialised techniques in underwater conservation. These marine terracottas offer a unique dimension to the study of Phoenician religiosity and its links with the sea as a sacred and vital space.

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