----- Original Message -----From: S MSent: Friday, June 06, 2008 4:56 PMSubject: [Ancientartifacts] More questions about Syro hittite figures
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@btinternet. wrote:com> From: rolf5568 <heliosgallery@btinternet. com>
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
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