Some observations on lead figurines of the goddess Venus in the area between Sirmium and Viminacium (original) (raw)

Ancient Venus Figurines

Venus Figurines are usually viewed as corpulent fertility figures or deities. This paper attempts to demonstrate that the term Venus, as applied to many of the Figurines, was not a misnomer. The primary Figurine in the paper is the Venus of Willendorf. However, other figurines from different time periods are also used to show support for the historically documented signs and their consistency in application.

Supra-Regional Trends in Popular Iconography of the Ancient Near East – The Case of Lead Plaques, Anatolica XLII (2016), 39-66

Anatolica, 2016

Small anthropomorphic representations of lead, cast in open moulds to resemble openwork plaques, are a very distinct category of objects appearing for over six centuries, beginning with approximately 23rd century BC, throughout a vast territory of the Near East, from western Anatolia, through northern Syria to north-eastern Mesopotamia. What singles them out as particularly interesting among other iconographical sources of supra-regional dispersal, is their attribution to popular culture. This association is indicated foremost by the find contexts of such plaques, suggestive of their functioning within a household rather than official or public setting. Moreover, simple technical requirements and the material of which they were crafted made them easily available. Finally, their iconography, the repertoire and character of the represented figures, point to their considerable independence from the official, or elite, culture. Lead plaques are therefore an invaluable source for studies on the development of supra-regional patterns within popular culture, a phenomenon as yet poorly recognized in the Ancient Near East. This article aims at analyzing the degree of convergence of particular features throughout the plaques’ area of distribution, especially as regards the repertoire of representations, and at establishing the cause for their popularity over such a vast territory. An attempt will be made at placing these observations in a wider context – of trends observable at that time in the popular culture of the ancient Near East – by comparing them to the closely related Mesopotamian terracotta plaques.

Lead Figurines from the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia at Sparta in the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (Canada): Problems of Typology and Collections History

The Annual of the British School at Athens

This paper presents the collections history and typological characteristics of a small collection of Laconian lead figurines from the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia currently held in the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The collection, which first belonged to Ramsay Traquair, serves as a case study for the applicability of the traditional lead figurine typology to decontextualised artefacts, demonstrating its limitations for assigning precise and accurate dates based on style without the benefit of stratigraphic and contextual evidence. The paper further attests to the value of comprehensively analysing small museum and gallery collections in order to gain more individualised understandings of the figurines within the large Laconian corpus than could be afforded upon excavation. Thus, this study helps to elucidate some of the limitations to the means by which we interpret Laconian material culture as well as to nuance our understanding of Laconian lead figurin...

A contribution to the knowledge of antique terracotta iconography in the province of Upper Moesia

Archaeology and Science 18, 2022

This paper presents three accidental terracotta finds assumed to originate from the Kruševac surroundings. There is one plate with a relief depiction, known only from the National Museum in Kruševac documentation, and two finds from the antique archaeological collection from the National Museum in Kruševac – the bust of a figure in high relief and the head of a female figurine. According to the iconography characteristics of these smaller dimension objects, we see the possibility of their cult nature. Thus, the depiction on the plate with a nude male figure with the spear and shield is identified as an artistic presentation of the god Mars. Taking into account the shorter coiffure with signs of stylisation on the bust mentioned above, we assume that it presents a male figure, but due to the poor preservation, it is impossible to identify it. Finally, thanks to a typical melon (melonen) coiffure and accessory on the top of the head resembling a high raised diadem or krobylos, we have made a connection between the head of the figurine and female facial features of the iconography of the goddess Venus.