Neolithic standing figurine

6th–5th millennium B.C.

Medium

Terracotta

Dimensions

5.9 × 1.8 cm

Status

In Museum Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-250084

One of the oldest objects in the Getty Museum's collection, this standing figure is one of many examples produced in northern Greece in the Neolithic Age. The figure’s nose is molded from pinched clay, the eyes made from flattened pellets with indentations, and a short, incised line just below the nose indicates the mouth. The lower part of the figure is clearly demarcated by a horizontal incised line, below which are decorative bands of vertical incisions.Very little is known about the meaning and function of Neolithic figures. They are frequently depicted squatting or seated with very schematic facial features. Incised or painted designs on some figurines may represent clothing, jewelry, or body parts. Whether male or female, the rendering of the body often accentuates the reproductive organs, and the exaggerated proportions of the hips and belly have been interpreted as fertility symbols. Similar types of figurines have been discovered in habitations, burials, and religious settings, and it is likely that such objects served more than one purpose. When buried beneath the floors of dwellings, they may have served as foundation offerings to safeguard the home and its occupants. F…