3rd millennium BC. A carved stone Kilia 'star gazer' idol head; mounted on a custom-made stand. See von Bothmer, D., Glories of the Past: Ancient Art from the Shelby White and Leon Levy Collection, New York, 1990. 152 grams total, 11cm including stand (4 1/4"). From a private English collection, acquired 1987. In the 3rd millennium BC, female figures were produced throughout the Mediterranean, including the area of modern Turkey previously known as Anatolia. These figures represent a highly stylised standing nude female with flipper-like arms. Her bulbous head, long neck, and flat body are characteristic of the Kilia type of female figurines, named after the village in Turkey where the first examples were found. The facial features are only schematically rendered, but areas such as the eyes would originally have been enhanced by paint; in contrast, the ears and nose are defined in carving. Chalcolithic female figures were probably connected with the cult of a fertility goddess; in a number of examples the pubic area is emphasised. Condition Report Fine condition.