260 - Idol, 2nd millennium B.C.

Idol, 2nd millennium B.C. Terracotta. Measurements: 17.5 cm (height). Provenance: Family bequest of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. An archaeological collection assembled beginning in the 1950s by successive generations of the family through acquisitions at European galleries and auction houses. This piece formerly belonged to an English collection. Depiction of a female idol carved in the round, with stylized features in which her breasts and limbs are particularly emphasized. The figure is depicted with her arms akimbo, holding an object—probably a votive offering—in her hands. Her legs have been rendered using incisions, defining the division between the two sides. Particularly striking is her zoomorphic face, modeled in such a way that an animal face can be discerned. The piece features punctures in its upper section. Terracotta figures have been part of religious statuary in numerous cultures, representing gods, demigods, or mere mortals. Regarded as religious offerings, these types of sculptures became historical artifacts, spanning from Greek to Roman culture, and served as an important form of artistic expression due to their creation from clay—a material that is both easily malleable and highly durable. In good condition.