Ain Sakhri figurine
| Ain Sakhri figurine | |
|---|---|
Ain Sakhri caves, Wadi Khareitoun near Bethlehem | |
| Present location | British Museum, London |
| Identification | 1958,1007.1 |
The Ain Sakhri figurine or Ain Sakhri Lovers is a
Discovery
The sculpture was identified in 1933 by
After the death of René Neuville in 1952, it was purchased by the British Museum at Sotheby's in 1958 from M. Y. Neuville.[5]
Appearance
The sculpture was made by carving a single "calcite cobble" which was picked away with a stone point to identify the position of the couple.[1] Although it lacks details, such as faces, it is considered to be a clever piece of sculpture. Artist Marc Quinn has noted that the figure looks different depending on the viewer's perspective, and may resemble a couple, a penis, breasts, or a vagina depending on this perspective,[2] or two testicles when viewed upside-down, from the bottom. Quinn compared it to a modern pornographic film where the action may include close-ups and long shots. It is clear that the figures in the couple are facing each other, but the sex of the figures can only be presumed.[5]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "British Museum - Ain Sakhri lovers figurine". 2011-08-11. Archived from the original on 2011-08-11. Retrieved 2018-09-12.
- ^ a b A History of the World -7, BBC.co.uk, accessed July 2010
- Skhul and Qafzeh hominids in the Levant.
- ^ A History of the World in 100 objects - Part 7, BBC Radio 4, 26 January 2010, transcript, accessed 23 July 2010
- ^ a b figurine, British Museum, accessed July 2010
Bibliography
- B. Boyd and J. Cook, 'A reconsideration of the "Ain Sakhri" figurine', Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 59 (1993), pp. 399–405
