Female Fertility (?) Figure

Nishapur, Iran, where this figure was excavated, was founded in about the 3rd century A.D. and was home to several civilizations. It sits along the Silk Road, a major trade crossroads between East and West, which accounts for the vastly different cultural objects found there.

Between 1935 and 1948 the Metropolitan Museum led excavations in Nishapur, unearthing a residential neighborhood from which this figurine was found. She is carved with neck and belly rolls and pronounced breasts, similar to fertility figures found elsewhere. However, since she was found amongst many Persian items the object may have been a doll from an early Islamic period, a local figurine, or a toy.

Figure