1111 - BACTRIA-MARGIAN CULTURE (BMAC or Oxus) (present-day Turkmenistan / Afghanistan) - Composite seated female figure, known as “Princess of Bactria” III, Late 3rd millennium – early 2nd millennium BC

BACTRIA-MARGIAN CULTURE (BMAC or Oxus) (present-day Turkmenistan / Afghanistan) - Composite seated female figure, known as “Princess of Bactria” III, Late 3rd millennium – early 2nd millennium BC Carved from white calcite, chlorite, and steatite. Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 4 cm. Weight: 267 g. An exceptional composite female figure belonging to the Bactrian-Margian civilization, also known as the Oxus civilization, one of the most advanced cultures in Central Asia during the late 3rd and early 2nd millennia BC. The sculpture is made by combining different types of stone—a distinctive feature of these celebrated Bactrian works—with the head carved from finely polished white calcite and the body and headdress crafted from chlorite or steatite. The figure represents a high-ranking woman, traditionally identified as a princess, priestess, or possibly a female deity. The face displays the stylized features characteristic of these sculptures, with large almond-shaped eyes, a prominent nose, and a serene and timeless expression that conveys a remarkable sense of authority and monumentality. The body has an oval and compact shape, covered by an elaborate ceremonial mantle decorated with complex incised geometric motifs arranged in triangular and rhomboidal registers reminiscent of representations of the kaunakes, the traditional ceremonial garment known in Mesopotamia and ancient Iran. These engraved decorations lend extraordinary visual richness to the surface of the piece and constitute a particularly refined variant within the well-known Bactrian composite figures. The use of different-colored stones to distinguish the face from the body follows an artistic tradition characteristic of the Oxus culture and has been interpreted by various specialists as a device intended to emphasize the symbolic or sacred nature of the figure. Although the exact meaning of these sculptures remains a subject of debate, most of the known examples come from funerary contexts, ...