Venus of WillendorfVenus of Hohle Fels, the earliest Venus figurine
A Venus figurine is any Upper Palaeolithic statue portraying a woman, usually carved in the round.[1] Most have been unearthed in Europe, but others have been found as far away as Siberia and distributed across much of Eurasia.
Most date from the Gravettian period (26,000–21,000 years ago).[1] However, findings are not limited to this period; for example, the Venus of Hohle Fels dates back at least 35,000 years to the Aurignacian era, and the Venus of Monruz dates back about 11,000 years to the Magdalenian. Such figurines were carved from soft stone (such as steatite, calcite or limestone), bone or ivory, or formed of clay and fired. The latter are among the oldest ceramics known to historians. In total, over 200 such figurines are known;[2] virtually all of modest size, between about 3 and 40 cm (1.2 and 15.7 in) in height.[3] These figurines are recognised as some of the earliest works of prehistoric art.
Most have wide hips and legs that taper to a point. Arms and feet are often absent, and the head is usually small and faceless. Various figurines exaggerate the abdomen, hips, breasts, thighs, or vulva, although many found examples do not reflect these typical characteristics. Depictions of hairstyles can be detailed, and clothing or tattoos may be indicated.[4]
The original cultural meaning and purpose of these artefacts is not known. It has frequently been suggested that they may have served a ritual or symbolic function. There are widely varying and speculative interpretations of their use or meaning: they have been seen as religious figures,[5] an expression of health and fertility, grandmother goddesses, or as self-depictions by female artists.[6]
^ abFagan, Brian M., Beck, Charlotte, "Venus Figurines", The Oxford Companion to Archaeology, 1996, Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780195076189 pp. 740–741
^Holloway
^Fagan, 740
^"Clothing of figurines may be record of Ice Age tribes' skills". old.post-gazette.com. Archived from the original on 2021-01-21. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
^Beck, 207-208
^William Haviland, Harald Prins, Dana Walrath, Bunny McBride, Anthropology: The Human Challenge, 13th edition, 2010, Cengage Learning, ISBN 0495810843, 9780495810841,google books; Cook; Beck, 205-208
A Venusfigurine is any Upper Palaeolithic statue portraying a woman, usually carved in the round. Most have been unearthed in Europe, but others have...
The Venus of Willendorf is an 11.1-centimetre-tall (4.4 in) Venusfigurine estimated to have been made around 29,500 years ago. It was recovered on August...
Fels, vom Hohle Fels; Venus von Schelklingen) is an Upper Paleolithic Venusfigurine made of mammoth ivory that was unearthed in 2008 in Hohle Fels, a cave...
figurine and is currently known as the Venus of Berekhat Ram (the term "Venus" was taken from the conventional name of much younger Venusfigurines of...
there are extant Neolithic figurines. European prehistoric figurines of women, some appearing pregnant, are called Venusfigurines, because of their presumed...
The Venus of Lespugue is a Venusfigurine, a statuette of a female figure of the Gravettian, dated to between 26,000 and 24,000 years ago. It was discovered...
The Venus of Moravany (Slovak: Moravianska venuša) is a small prehistoric Venusfigurine discovered in Slovakia in the early 20th century. It was ploughed...
The Venusfigurines of Kostenki are prehistoric representations of the female body, usually in ivory and usually dated to between 25,000 and 20,000 years...
The Venus of Galgenberg is a Venusfigurine of the Aurignacian era, dated about 36,000 years ago. The sculpture, also known in German as the Fanny von...
the Venus of Brassempouy belonged to an Upper Palaeolithic material culture, the Gravettian (29,000–22,000 BP). More precisely, they date the figurine to...
The Venusfigurines of Petersfels are several small female statuettes from the Upper Paleolithic era, carved from jet lignite. The tallest figurine is...
The Venus of Monruz (also Venus of Neuchâtel, Venus of Neuchâtel-Monruz) is a Venusfigurine of the late Upper Paleolithic, or the beginning Epipaleolithic...
The Venusfigurines of Gagarino are eight Palaeolithic Venusfigurines made from ivory. The statuettes belong to the Gravettian industry and are about...
The Venus of Eliseevichi is a Venusfigurine from the Epigravettian exhibited at the Hermitage Museum. The figurine was discovered in 1930, near the Sudost...
The Venus of Mauern (also: Rote von Mauern, "the red one of Mauern") is a Venusfigurine from the paleolithic era. The statuette stems from the Gravettian...
The Venus of Savignano is a Venusfigurine made from soft greenstone (serpentine) dating back to the Upper Paleolithic, which was discovered in 1925 near...
Paleolithic ethnic groups. Venusfigurines have evoked similar controversy. Archaeologists and anthropologists have described the figurines as representations...
the Balkans, Ukraine and Russia. The Gravettian culture is known for Venusfigurines, which were typically carved from either ivory or limestone. The culture...
of Cro-Magnon artists in Europe. Figurines with date estimates of 40,000 years are the so-called Lion-man and Venus of Hohle Fels, both found in the Southern...
individualized features. As time went on, figurines were given more details and the signature coiffures of the Venusfigurines as well as breasts or suggestions...
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