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Details
This delightful female figure is based on examples from 1700-1200 BC, Cyprus and depicts the Canaanite goddess of sex, fertility and war, Astarte. The bird-like facial features common on these statues are thought to represent a divine aspect of the figure, whilst the human body represents a more human aspect.
In some cases, with these figures, Astarte is holding or breastfeeding a small child or baby, representing her capacity to create and nourish.
Astarte figures such as these have a lineage that stretches back deep into history and prehistory; her legacy can be traced back around 5,000 years but probably originated in a time much further back than this. Although she was not called Astarte throughout this entire period, this is only one of the names given to this important goddess who was shared by many cultures of the Ancient Near East where she is also known as Ishtar, Inanna, Ashtoreth and Ashtart and is said to be the inspiration for later goddesses such as Venus and Aphrodite.
The Canaanatie region where Astarte arose is thought to have included modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. Increased contact with the Middle East from around 1700 BC exposed Cyprus to new ways of depicting Astarte, resulting in these fabulous figures.
These goddess figures are often associated with love, but this is a romanticism that seriously underplays these deities' importance within the ancient Near East cultures. Intoxicating, unpredictable and capricious, they embody passion in all forms, from ecstasy to rage. They epitomise the emotional drive of the heart over the logic of the mind. From domestic harmony to political harmony, all depended on the good favour of this powerful female totem. They have the power to bring joy or despair to individuals, empires and other deities.
The rise of Christianity, driven by it becoming the official religion of the Romans, saw the decline in depictions of these dynamic female deities, but the tradition did continue to a certain extent in small pockets, possibly because devotees found the presence of a female divine figure compelling in an otherwise male-dominated religious environment. The threat of figures such as Astarte was a concern to the Christian establishment, as several biblical references warn against the worship of these female powerhouses.
One reference goes like this: Judges 2:12 to 2:14: "They followed and worshipped various gods of the people around them. They aroused the Lord's anger because they forsook him and served Baal and Ashtorothes(Astarte). In his anger against Isreal the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around."
There is also a reference in Jeremiah 44:19 where Jeremiah is talking to the people in Lower and Upper Egypt about their idolatry, and he warns against the women who "burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her" and also were involved in "making cakes impressed with her image."
Similar figures of babies in cradles and men exist but are far rarer, suggesting that female depictions held particular importance to the people who made them and venerated them. Let the power of Astarte into your life with one of our museum-quality replicas.
The figures are sold without a stand. Should you wish to have a stand simply add it to your order.
The hand-forged stands are being made by the talented Tom at heritageblades.co.uk . Each one is an artwork of its own and made using traditional forging techniques. There will be a short wait when ordering a stand while Tom handcrafts the stands for us and we hope to have them by mid-November *.
*Please be aware that we rely on getting the stands from a third party and, therefore, cannot guarantee a specific delivery time. Still, we will work closely with this trusted supplier to get your stand in time for Christmas.
Materials
Smoke fired terracotta
Dimensions
Approx 210 mm tall
Production
This replica has been hand-made in Northumberland by Potted History, based on an original artefact. It has been fired to a temperature between 800 & 1000 Centigrade to emulate the same techniques the original potters would have employed. This process often results in surface colour and texture variation, as is common with the original artefacts.
Postage
All items are sent using a second-class postal service. If you wish to have an item sent first class, please get in touch with us for a quote. Many Thanks
Pots of History / History in Hand
