CHALCOLITHIC PERIOD, CIRCA LATE 4TH-EARLY 3RD MILLENNIUM B.C.

This figure and the three following are carved from picrolite, a soft stone related to steatite, found at a number of sites on Cyprus. As J. Mertens informs (p. 6 in “Three Chalcolithic Figures from Cyprus,” Metropolitan Museum of Art Journal 10), though these objects are relatively simple in form, “the conception and technology here are impressive.” This figure takes the form of a highly stylized cruciform with the details of the face summarily indicated. The long neck is accentuated with a shallow groove and the arms are detailed with notches, perhaps indicating fingers. The precise function of these figures is difficult to ascertain. While some (including lots 2-3) display a pierced head, suggesting they were worn as pendants, E. Goring remarks (p. 207 in E. Peltenburg, et al., eds, Figurine Makers of Prehistoric Cyprus) that unperforated examples “could have been worn on the body in some way, perhaps tucked into clothing or sewn in place.” Mertens (op. cit., p. 8) concludes that the best compensation for the lack of answers are the objects themselves, as they are “tangible remnants of distant beliefs and practices.”