Terracotta woman

This Cypriot female figure is likely a votive sculpture for Astarte, a goddess of Phoenician origin whose influence migrated to Cyprus via trade. The mold-made figure is adorned with jewelry and holds a small bird in front of her belly, which may be a dove, one of Astarte’s icons. She is robed although her pubic region is accentuated. She was likely excavated from a tomb at Palaepaphos, the largest religious center in Cyprus, which has significant dedications to Aphrodite.

Statuette of a woman