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Near Eastern Art :
Miscellaneous : Votive Dish With Intaglios Of Animals, Birds
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Votive Dish With Intaglios Of Animals, Birds - D.0175
Origin: Lake Van, Anatolia
Circa: 4000
BC
to 3000
BC
Collection: Near Eastern
Medium: Dickite
Location: United States
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| Description |
Graceful and elegant, this votive dish evokes the
dawn of western culture. With a cache of related
artifacts, it was found along the shores of Lake
Van in Armenia. Centuries ago, it was offered at
the shrine of a powerful nature god, one whose
cult was concerned also with the afterlife and
rebirth. The exact function of the dish is
uncertain, but it may once have held an offering
of food or incense. The intaglios on the inside
depict a seated figure, most likely a cult idol,
surrounded by two horned animals and a duck.
On the base is another image of a waterfowl,
perhaps used to create multiple images in soft
wax or clay. Were these intended to promote the
fertility of nature? The eternal peace of the soul?
A token of a vanished world, its mystery adds to
its appeal.
- (D.0175)
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