weekend...
Rolf
--- In Ancientartifacts@yahoogroups.com, S M <scriptusmeus@...> wrote:
>
> Thanks to all for the help and guidance you provide.
>
> Rolf, I was aware that many people believe that the syro
hittite female fertility figures (astarte?) were ritually broken. I
tend to accept that theory, but were any of these figurines made out
of metal? If so, I am sure they were not meant to be broken.
>
> Did they also ritually break the horsemen? Is the figure on the
horse a male god (possibly baal - or his equivalent?).
>
> Are the merhgarh female idols related to the syro hittite
idols in that they represent the same fertility goddess (Astarte or
Asherah etc.)
>
> Many of the Tel Halaf idols I have seen also have a bird face -
can they also be placed in the same category? Do the artifacts
from Tel Halaf suggest that they were ritually broken?
>
> I have seen some Tanit figurines for sale recently - they do not
seem to have been ritually broken. I realize they are Phoenician, but
it seems possible that ritually breaking idols was somewhat of a
common practice in ancient times - to release the 'mana' or powers
locked within the idol.
>
> Is it probable that the Tel Brak 'eye idols' were
also ritually broken? I have noticed that many of the stone idols
have been broken at the neck (if terracotta - one of the 'eyes' are
usually broken). Could the breaks be due to structural weakness - the
long body of the 'Astartes' and the thin necks of the 'eye idols'?
>
>
> Tony
>
>
>
>
> --- On Thu, 6/5/08, rolf5568 heliosgallery@... wrote:
>
> From: rolf5568 heliosgallery@...
> Subject: [Ancientartifacts] Re: dougie9350 - questionable syro
hittite horse
> To: Ancientartifacts@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Thursday, June 5, 2008, 12:57 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Hi Tony,
>
> Genuine Syro-Hittite votive figures which are intact can probably
be
> counted on one hand: these figures were made to be ritually broken
> and distributed as offerings in fields for fertility or under
> building foundations - the likelihood of one appearing on ebay and
> not being fiercely bid upon by dealers such as myself is improbable
> though of course not impossible. The reason I wouldn't personally
bid
> on this example is that I know there are many fakes of this type in
> circulation and that the appearance of the surface is consistent
with
> the fakes which I've seen and handled in person.
>
> Newsflash: genuine items on ebay! I noticed a sale via fleabay-live
> which seems to be offering genuine antiquities - Estates Unlimited
> Inc. - I only looked at the Classical pieces but they looked pretty
> good and many appear (I think) to have come from Howie Nowes who's
a
> perfectly straight and proper dealer in my opinion.
>
> Cheers,
> Rolf Kiaer
> www.heliosgallery. com
>
------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ancientartifacts/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ancientartifacts/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:Ancientartifacts-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:Ancientartifacts-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
Ancientartifacts-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
