Male Tubular Idol - From Cyprus - 1900-1650 BC - Pierides Museum - Reproduction - Ceramic Artifact

Item Specifics

Condition: New, Handmade in Greece.
Height: 31,5 cm - 12,4 inches
Width: 9 cm - 3,5 inches
Length: 8,5 cm - 3,3 inches
Weight: 620 g.

In the Late Bronze Age, a new type of female figurine became popular in Cyprus. It had a curving rather than straight outline, with wide hips, arms supporting the breasts and incised details – including the pubic triangle. Eyes were rendered by round pellets and the ears were frequently large, flanged and decorated with plastic earrings. Some examples are shown holding an infant in the left arm. The type derives from Syrian prototypes, themselves apparently inspired by Mesopotamian figurines. It is generally believed to represent a fertility deity, plausibly associated with the great Near Eastern goddess Isthar. By that time, contacts between Cyprus and the Near East were intense, and interactions both in religious beliefs and iconographic representations quite common.