 Venus
figurines
- (Art,
religion)
Extract - 'Archaeologically they are
known from the earliest horizons of the Aurignacian and extend to the end
of the Magdalenian. Venus figurines have been found in Britain, France,
Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, Czechoslovakia, the Ukraine, and as far
east as Lake Baikal...In appearance most are plump little creatures with
exaggerated female characteristics: large breasts, thighs and buttocks.
Many are carved from mammoth tusks, but one of the best known is made of
limestone and generally known as the Venus of Willendorf' (1), (See
below).
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Venus Figurines.
'Venus figurines' - is an umbrella term
for a number of prehistoric statues of women sharing common
attributes from the Aurignacian or Gravettian period of the upper
Palaeolithic, found from Western Europe to Siberia. These items were
carved from soft stone, bone or ivory, or formed of clay and fired.
The latter are among the oldest ceramics known. In total, over a
hundred such figurines are known; virtually all of modest size,
between 4 cm and 25 cm in height. (Ref:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_figurines)
The Venus of Laussel, France: Fashioned on limestone
approximately 20,000 years ago and painted with red-ochre paint.
It has been suggested that the
13 notches on the 'horn' she is holding represent either the number of
moons or the number of menstrual cycles in a year.
On the Island of Malta,
which has several indications of a prehistoric female worship, a number of small 'Venus'
figurines have been found, along with a 'life-size' figure, which is more
often referred to as a 'mother earth' / goddess figure.
The shape of the temples on the island have been
compared to the shape of the earth-mother-goddess
figures.
The dominant
position of the huge female-goddess figure inside the
Hal Tarxien temple
reinforces the idea that they were an important part of ceremonial procedure. The top
half is now missing.
(More
about Malta)
Other Venus figurines:
Left to right: Three European Venus
figurines from the ice-age of ca. 25,000 years ago. From left to right:
Venus of DolniVestonice, Czechia, burnt clay. Venus of Willendorf, Austria,
Chalk. Venus of Lespugue, France, mammoth ivory.
Most of the Venus figures in Malta were
found in or around temples, reinforcing the suggesting of an association
with religious worship.
This Earth-mother from
Catal Huyuk in Turkey, is similar to
other more recent earth-mother figures found
in Europe, such as at Malta and on Crete).
(Note: similarity to Brittania)
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