Mesopotamian figurines and terracottas

These brown rectangular objects are nicely decorated and are called terracottas because they are made of clay. This material was also used to craft the small figurines that you can see here, but stone statuettes are also part of the collection.

They may have been used as votive items to honor the gods, or simply as decorations - which is more likely for the examples in this picture.

On a lot of these terracottas, we see animals depicted. The one on the bottom left clearly depicts a rooster! These birds are known from Sumerian times, more than 4000 years ago, when they were called ‘royal birds’. This one has a particularly nice crown.

The one above depicts an ostrich, carved in a lot of detail. The terracotta figure to the top right of the ostrich depicts a man carrying a monkey on his shoulder, holding it with a leash (zoom in to get a better look!).

The larger terracotta in the middle depicts two figures, one cut off at the waist. The standing person is holding the other one down with his foot, while preparing to ‘smite’ him. The person on the ground is apparently a vanquished enemy, judging by his very expressively sad face.

Now, the other figurines deserve some special attention.