A mysterious treasure from the dawn of Western
civilization, this stone votive was offered
thousands of years ago at the shrine of a
powerful god. With a cache of related artifacts, it
was discovered along the shores of Lake Van in
Turkey. The deity whose favor it sought was
apparently a nature god, associated also with
fertility and rebirth. This superb statue depicts a
standing votary, carved in an elegantly simple
fashion. His head, when seen in profile,
becomes the body of a bird. In this ancient cult,
the bird seems associated with the idea of the
soul, perhaps a transformation in the afterlife.
The image engraved on the bottom of the votive
depicts a seated idol. Pressed into soft wax or
clay, it would have produced multiple images to
please the heavens. The effect of this rare
sculpture is powerful and haunting. It touches a
chord deep in the soul, something ancient but
not completely forgotten.
- (D.0040)
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