Large Anatolian Marble Kilia Idol Head (Auction 2026-05-15, Lot 158A)

Sold

Ancient Near East, Anatolia, Turkey, Early Bronze Age II, ca. 2800 to 2200 BCE. A graceful hand-carved marble head of an extremely simplified anthropomorphic form. A thin neck rises up then flares to a ‘v’ shape with a rounded top. The focus is the pointed nose at the center, from where the carved strokes draw back, making the nose appear tilted upward. Kilia statues are characterized by bulbous heads like this example, long necks, and flat bodies with wide, flipper-like arms. When first made, the faces would have had painted eyes and other details. Their abstract nature suggests that perhaps naturalism was not the objective for ancient sculptors; interestingly, this abstraction resonates with modern art. Archaeologists have interpreted these figures as female and call them “stargazers” because their heads are tilted upwards. Size: 2.5″ W x 2.25″ H (6.4 cm x 5.7 cm); 3.25″ H (8.3 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: ex-Phoenicia Holyland Antiquities, New York, New York, USA; ex-New York City Gallery; ex-Ariadne Gallery, New York, USA, acquired in the early 1980s

Damaged. Heavy encrustation on top and backside, but the shape of the head is nicely preserved and excellent. Small nicks to edges commensurate with age. Head is a fragment from a larger statue.