325 - Female figure of the goddess Astarte, a fertility deity, from the Elamite culture of the Near East, circa 1500 BC.

Female figure of the goddess Astarte, a fertility deity, from the Elamite culture of the Near East, circa 1500 BC. Molded and fired terracotta votive plaque. Dimensions: 13.5 cm high x 5 cm wide. Height with base: 16.5 cm. An interesting religious representation of a female figure, belonging to the artistic tradition of the ancient Near East during the second half of the second millennium BC. The piece depicts a nude female deity, iconographically identified as Astarte, a goddess associated with love, fertility, sexuality, and war, whose cult was widespread among the ancient civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean and Mesopotamia. The figure is depicted in a frontal view, following a symmetrical and hieratic composition, with her arms bent and her hands placed beneath her breasts—a gesture traditionally associated with fertility, motherhood, and the deity’s generative power. The treatment of the female anatomy is noteworthy, rendered through stylized forms that emphasize the attributes associated with fertility. The face displays a solemn expression, framed by an elaborate, ornamental hairstyle that accentuates the ceremonial significance of the depiction. The figure is adorned with earrings, bracelets, and a meticulously crafted necklace, from which hangs a prominent central element positioned between the breasts. These pieces of jewelry, in addition to visually enriching the composition, evoke the attributes of prestige, beauty, and divine power associated with female representations in the ancient Near East. The piece was made using a mold, a technique widely used in the production of small terracotta figures and votive plaques, which allowed for the reproduction of iconographic models intended for sanctuaries, domestic spaces, and religious contexts. During the second millennium BCE, depictions of nude female deities took on particular significance in the religious traditions of Mesopotamia, Elam, and the Levant, where they were linked to beliefs about ...