Hacilar IX-VI
What could be more exciting than the discovery of another tradition of figure sculpture?
This one comes from Anatolia and dates way back to 5700-5600 BC.
And here's the website it comes from.
With a few million people today, worldwide, making little figures in clay or plastic, you'd think that nothing from a small, forgotten town 7500 years ago would stand out --- but it does because this is the work of a sacred tradition, not just an artsy individual -- so there is social pressure to fulfill a specific imaginative function (the goddess lives !) -- and there are generations of people working and coaching next generations to achieve it.
So the item has power and dignity -- rather than wanton self expression.
This one comes from Anatolia and dates way back to 5700-5600 BC.
And here's the website it comes from.
With a few million people today, worldwide, making little figures in clay or plastic, you'd think that nothing from a small, forgotten town 7500 years ago would stand out --- but it does because this is the work of a sacred tradition, not just an artsy individual -- so there is social pressure to fulfill a specific imaginative function (the goddess lives !) -- and there are generations of people working and coaching next generations to achieve it.
So the item has power and dignity -- rather than wanton self expression.
posted by chris miller at 11:06 AM
4 Comments:
Here is an interesting thought (not mine): how do we know these are meant to be goddesses?
It does seem that whenever archeologists find a bunch of small figures, they call the objects 'votive images' and they call the place a shrine -- when, maybe it was just a doll collection in a little girl's bedroom.
Love this. It is a full and curvy girl's figure...yet so simple....it is ancient yet so morden...amazing
Sorry ,Gawain,I forgot to ask: who was it that had this 'interesting thought' -- and what alternative functions did he offer ?
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