Syro-Hittite Terracotta Goddess Figure Fragment

Ancient Near East, Syro-Hittite culture, c. 2000–1600 BC, Northern Syria

A finely crafted small-scale terracotta head fragment depicting a female deity in highly stylised form, characterised by striking avian features. The goddess gazes outward through wide, annular pellet eyes, while a pinched, beak-like nose projects prominently from the petite head, lending the figure a powerful and otherworldly presence.

She wears an elaborate pierced headdress, an important identifying feature that associates the figure with the fertility goddess Astarte, a widely venerated deity in the Syro-Hittite and broader Levantine world. The exaggerated eyes relate to a pervasive ancient Near Eastern visual convention, in which wide, attentive eyes symbolised vigilance, devotion, and perpetual awareness before the divine.

Such terracotta figurines functioned as intimate household cult objects imbued with deep spiritual significance. Commonly placed within domestic interiors or buried beneath thresholds and doorposts, they served as protective charms intended to safeguard the home and to promote fertility, health, and well-being—particularly for the women of the household.

This evocative fragment offers a compelling glimpse into the private religious practices of the ancient Near East and the symbolic language through which divine protection and fertility were sought.

Good condition. Surface wear consistent with age and use, with chips, nicks and abrasion. Size approx. 4,0cm x 2,5cm x 2,6cm.

Provenance: Swedish private collection

For a similar example see:

Female Figure, The Brooklyn Museum, Accession Number: 51.117 (https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/es-US/objects/65157)