Amlash culture, Gilan Province, Northwestern Iran
1400-1100 BCE
Ciram analysis result-3450 years old (±320 years)
Height: 9 inches (22.75 inches)
Provenance: Martha Pillard – Honolulu,Hawaii. Docent of Honolulu Academy of Arts.Obtained from her collection in 1999 / Christian Rub - Santa Barbara, CA, father of Martha Pillard, antique dealer in the 1930's and friend of Taos artist Joseph Henry Sharp
CIRAM report included - click here to view
Since their appearance in the antiquities markets of Europe in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the evocative terracotta figurines unearthed near the village of Amlash in Northwestern Iran caused a sensation among modern art collectors and museums.Echoing the minimalist forms of Cycladic sculpture, the highly stylized forms of Amlash figurines inspired avant garde artists of the time, including Picasso, drawn to what they saw was a radical refinement of the human figure, artfully distilled to its purest and most essential form.
Skillfully created by hand, Amlash terracotta figurines are a testament to the technical mastery of its ancient artisans and provide for us a rare window into their remote spiritual beliefs. Dating to the very earliest period of Amlash culture, the exceptional female idol presented here served as the embodiment of an idealized feminine form, the exaggerated swollen hips and spherical upper thighs signaling her fecundity and sublime feminine power. The highly stylized featureless head, rudimentary arms and conical breasts are attenuated and reduced to their most essential forms, further emphasizing the steatopygous femininity and allure of this ancient idol.
Amlash culture, Gilan Province, Northwestern Iran
1400-1100 BCE
Ciram analysis result-3450 years old (±320 years)
Height: 9 inches (22.75 inches)
Provenance: Martha Pillard – Honolulu,Hawaii. Docent of Honolulu Academy of Arts.Obtained from her collection in 1999 / Christian Rub - Santa Barbara, CA, father of Martha Pillard, antique dealer in the 1930's and friend of Taos artist Joseph Henry Sharp
CIRAM report included - click here to view
Since their appearance in the antiquities markets of Europe in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the evocative terracotta figurines unearthed near the village of Amlash in Northwestern Iran caused a sensation among modern art collectors and museums.Echoing the minimalist forms of Cycladic sculpture, the highly stylized forms of Amlash figurines inspired avant garde artists of the time, including Picasso, drawn to what they saw was a radical refinement of the human figure, artfully distilled to its purest and most essential form.
Skillfully created by hand, Amlash terracotta figurines are a testament to the technical mastery of its ancient artisans and provide for us a rare window into their remote spiritual beliefs. Dating to the very earliest period of Amlash culture, the exceptional female idol presented here served as the embodiment of an idealized feminine form, the exaggerated swollen hips and spherical upper thighs signaling her fecundity and sublime feminine power. The highly stylized featureless head, rudimentary arms and conical breasts are attenuated and reduced to their most essential forms, further emphasizing the steatopygous femininity and allure of this ancient idol.
