867 - An alabaster disc decorated with incised patterns, a fragment of an Early Bronze Age idol, Cappadocia, late 3rd millennium B.C.

An alabaster disc decorated with incised patterns, a fragment of an Early Bronze Age idol, Cappadocia, late 3rd millennium B.C. A slightly flattened, disc-shaped oval at the top, representing the lower part of a typical Early Bronze Age idol with three stylized heads. Of the heads, only the round-barred neck bases at varying heights remain. The front side of the disc is adorned with rich incised decoration. Along the edge is a band of diagonal hatching between two lines. Directly above the center are two identical bands running horizontally, one directly above the other. Above these are four large circular eyes in the spaces between the bands and the neck bases. In the lower half, at the bottom, is an isosceles triangle with a herringbone pattern, divided into two halves in the center by a vertical line running along the superimposed angles. Above this is a line of large circular eyes; below it, in the fields to the left and right of the triangle, is one slightly larger circular eye in each. On the reverse side, a herringbone pattern runs only along the contours of the necks; the rest of the surface is otherwise smooth. Minimal chipping; otherwise intact. Preserved height 13.5 cm. Width 14.2 cm. Comparable idols featuring these typical formal and stylistic elements generally originate from the Kültepe settlement in Cappadocia or its immediate vicinity. CULTURAL HERITAGE! Provenance: Private collection in Northern Bavaria (estate), from the mother’s private collection; acquired by her father, H.H., through Süddeutscher Kunsthandel in the 1960s. Condition: II–III