Terracotta statuette of woman with bird face

By the 7th century BCE, Astarte’s cult had come to Cyprus and this terracotta figure may be one of her devotees. As Astarte's icons traveled throughout the Mediterranean, she evolved as a goddess of war, love, fertility, and hunting.

Fertility figures appear as anthropomorphic and zoomorphic throughout the Cypriotic periods. During a period of significant contact with the Levant peoples, bird-faced, female figurines became common, suggesting their influence.

This object was excavated from the tombs at Nicosia-Ayia Paraskevi. It is one of many mold-made terracotta works featuring avian characteristics. She holds a small infant in her arms, and has wide hips and an exaggerated pubic triangle.

Statuette of a woman with bird face