FOUR VOTIVE OFFERINGS FOR ASTARTE H. max. 13.4... Lot 4

FOUR VOTIVE OFFERINGS FOR ASTARTE H. max. 13.4 cm. Clay, mould-made, some fired hard. Western Asia and Near East. Three relief plaques and one idol, three with their arms positioned in a gesture denoting fertility. a) STANDING WOMAN. Surface of the relief with brown ground. - Half-round reverse. Lower edge worn. Type of the ?Oriental Mother Goddess?. 2nd half 2nd mill. B.C. b) WREATHED WOMAN AS IDOL. - Ringed arms and legs clearly distinct from body. Reverse smooth. Undamaged. 2nd mill. B.C. c) WOMAN WITH TAMBOURINE. Light red ground. - Standing figure with beaded hair and decorated robe. Reverse smooth. Preserved until just above the knees. 2nd mill. B.C. d) GODDESS WITH POLOS. - Long robe. Fine relief. Reverse smooth. Preserved until just above the knees. Edges worn. 7th?6th cent. B.C. Provenance: Coll. P.A.E. Hollander, 1992-2010. - a) and c) formerly Coll. Yeganeh. Thereafter Antikenkabinett Frankfurt a.M., list no. ID 60. 56, Idole und Votive, Cat. 4 (Frankfurt a.M. 2000) no. 44. 41 with illus., a) there acquired 7.11.2000; b) formerly Galerie Günter Puhze, Freiburg im Breisgau, acquired 18.4.2000; d) formerly Sasson Ancient Art, Jerusalem, Tefaf Basle 1998 no. 77, acquired 6.11.1998. Researchers have repeatedly linked all these different variations of the mother goddess or female fertility deity with the cult of Astarte. - On a) cf. van Ingen - 1939, 18. 57 no. 1 pl. 1,1. The author interprets her as ?Mother Goddess?. This type was widespread in the Ancient Near East from the 3rd?1st mill. B.C.; b) for a similarly modelled relief plaque, see Badre - 1980, 250 no. 51, pl. 20; and for two, similarly semi-sculpted statuettes, see Amiet - 1966, 301 f. nos. 225-226 with illus.; for a stylistically related, Canaanite bronze statuette in a similar pose, see Negbi - 1976, 69.108 f. nos. 1551-1552 fig. 85, pl. 40, in ?Anatolian pose? as a sign of the spread of this eastern fertility cult; c) for the style, cf. Cat. Hildesheim - 1978, no. 101 with illus.; Badre - 1980,