Female Mesopotamian Figure

Description Terracotta figurines of standing nude women are the most common type of Babylonian votive. Sometimes the figure clasps her hands in front of her, as seen here, while in other examples the figure holds her breasts or suckles a baby. These mass-produced fertility figurines served as votive offerings or as charms to aid in conception and childbirth.

Exhibitions

• In Search of Ancient Treasure: 40 Years of Collecting. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1978.
• Faces of Ancient Arabia: The Giraud and Carolyn Foster Collection of South Arabian Art. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. 2008.

Provenance Henry Walters, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Sadie Jones (Mrs. Henry Walters), New York, 1931, by inheritance; Sale, Joseph Brummer, New York, 1941; Walters Art Museum, 1941, by purchase.

Credit Museum purchase [formerly part of the Walters Collection], 1941