Object Description
A finely modelled ancient Elamite terracotta plaque of a fertility goddess, depicted in her most iconic representations, attests to the distinctive Elamite ornamental practices of the late second millennium BC. The goddess is characteristically portrayed in facing frontal, standing in a solemn pose and gazing forward with her wide, rimmed almond-shaped eyes. She is presented holding her breasts with her hands, wearing a headdress that has a protruding globular ornament embraced by the horizontal modellings that imitate the fabric elements of her turban. She is richly jewelled, an exaggerated necklace with a globular pendent naturally rests on her chest. Her enlarged pubic triangle is further adorned with numerous swirling modellings that slightly rise from the surface. Despite being made with a flat reversed side, her imagery representation is aesthetically highlighted via her sensual body outline and naturistic depictions on her facial features. Her fleshy body is conveyed by her slender waist and distended, plump thighs, one of the most representative features of Elamite nude fertility goddess plaques.
Date: Circa 2000-1100 BC