Iberian Bronze Female Votive Statuette
Period late 6th - early 5th Century BCCulture Iberian, probably from Despenaperros
Category Spanish
Dimensions 9.5 cm H
Description This statuette of a young girl is one of the finest Iberian bronzes. The girl stands with her right hand extended (the left is lost), holding a small round object in her open palm. This has been interpreted as a piece of fruit or possibly a small cake, and in any case is an offering to the deity. The large size of the hand emphasizes the importance of the gesture. The face, with its archaic smile and large, almond-shaped eyes, is carefully finished. Great attention has been given to her costume. She wears a rounded diadem and braids with an ornamental ball at the end. Her short-sleeved dress is tightly belted at the waist. Two straps that pass over her shoulders crisscross on her back, a peculiar but typical feature of Iberian dress. The waist itself is unnaturally narrow, and below it swells the stylized form of a spool-shaped skirt. The girl's bare feet are visible below the hem.