A MEHRGARH TERRACOTTA FIGURE OF A SEATED MOTHER GODDESS, INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION Expert’s note: Anthropomorphic male and female human forms have been excavated from several sites associated with the Indus Valley Civilization. Mehrgarh’s female figurines are endowed with prominent breasts and elaborate headdresses. The curvy physiques of figurines were not meant to sexualize the female body, but to revere it, and its role in the creation of life. Baluchistan, Pakistan, 3000–2500 BCE. Modeled as a voluptuous woman, the deity’s hands positioned under her prominent breasts, slightly hoisting them, as she looks straight ahead. The goddess is adorned with elaborate jewelry and her animated expression is marked by wide, hollow eyes above a pointed nose. She is modeled with a slender waist, wide hips, and small rounded shoulders, accentuating her deified position in society as the creator of life. Provenance: Belgian trade. Condition: Good condition with minor wear and firing irregularities. Obvious losses, and touch-ups around the waist. Weight: 33.5 g (without stand), 52.1 g (with stand) Dimensions: Height 9 cm (without stand), 10.3 cm (with stand) Literature comparison: Compare a closely related Mehrgarh style terracotta figure of a seated mother goddess, 13.3 cm tall, ca. 3000–2500 BCE, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 2001.305. Compare a closely related Mehrgarh style terracotta figure of a seated mother goddess, 8.6 cm tall, ca. 3000–2500 BCE, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the MET), accession number 2001.306