1112 - BACTRIA-MARGIAN CULTURE (BMAC or Oxus) (present-day Turkmenistan / Afghanistan) - Composite seated female figure, known as “Princess of Bactria” II, 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” II, Late 3rd millennium – early 2nd millennium BC Carved calcite, chlorite, and steatite. Dimensions: 8.5 x 4.5 x 4 cm. Weight: 185 g. An exceptional composite female figure belonging to the Bactrian-Margian civilization, also known as the Oxus civilization, one of the most advanced and sophisticated cultures of Central Asia during the late 3rd and early 2nd millennium BCE. The sculpture is made by combining different types of stone—a distinctive feature of these celebrated composite figures—with the head carved from polished 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 schematic and monumental features characteristic of Bactrian sculpture, with almond-shaped eyes, a prominent nose, and a hieratic expression that conveys serenity, authority, and a strong symbolic character. The body appears to be wrapped in a heavy ceremonial mantle decorated with fine diagonal and vertical geometric incisions reminiscent of the kaunakes, the traditional Mesopotamian garment originally made of sheepskin and adopted by various cultures of the ancient Near East. The use of different colored stones to distinguish the face from the body is one of the most distinctive features of these sculptures and has been interpreted by various specialists as an element intended to emphasize the sacred or ceremonial nature of the figure. Although the exact meaning of these representations remains a subject of debate, most known examples come from funerary contexts, suggesting a function linked to the religious, funerary, or cultic sphere. Some researchers consider them representations of members of the ruling elite, while others argue that they represent female deities or ...