Mehrgarh Terracotta Idol
An ancient Mehrgarh terracotta male figurine with broad chest, high arching incised eye brows and deep cut slit eyes.
Early Bonze Age, Mehrgarh Period VII.
The oldest terracotta figurines in South Asia were found at Mehrgarh, a Neolithic site located in present-day Pakistan, to the west of the Indus River valley. Female idols occur in all phases of the settlement, but male figures do not appear until ca. 2600 BC, and gradually become more numerous. The high forehead, bare head, deeply cut almond-shaped eyes, and incised eyebrows are typical of Mehrgarh male figurines, and reflect a strong Mesopotamian influence.
Cf. Vergessene St?dte am Indus. Arch?ologische Museum Frankfurt. Mainz am Rhein, 1987. p. 254, fig. A87.
Formerly in the M. S. collection, New York.