Description:

Ancient Near East, Sumeria, ca. 3rd to 2nd millennium BCE. A terracotta figure of a reclining person, his/her body covered in regularly incised lines and rings to ward off the evil eye. The face is abstract, with huge, round eyes, a sign of watchfulness and worshipfulness, a small, round mouth, and a huge elongated chin. Size: 4.1" L x 2.2" H (10.4 cm x 5.6 cm)

The banquet was the upper class social event of the ancient Near East, enjoyed later by the Greeks and Romans as the symposium. It was an opportunity for elites (both men and women) to connect with one another over food and drink in a ritualized, but social, setting. The Banquet Plaque, held by the University of Chicago, shows three registers of scenes from a banquet - a man and woman being attended by servants bearing jars of beer, an animal being slaughtered to be eaten while other servants bring in food, and musicians and dancers performing for the festivities.

Provenance: Ex-Private East Coast, USA Collection

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#121020

  • Condition: End of legs has an ancient loss; top of head has some wear.

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May 25, 2017 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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