.bk J05
.fl ZK226yM.j
.fd item description
.ed ZK226
.ei yM
.rd ZC315
.ri yM

i 8
ds figurine of a standing female. The head and a large portion of the legs are missing. On the left side, below the elbow, traces of reddish-brown paint in the form of 4 stripes are visible. This figurine is quite puzzling. On the first glance, one might see that the figure is holding her breast, which is a common depiction in Mesopotamia. However, the figurine could be holding an object of some sort or could be simply holding her hands together below the neck. The reason behind this assumption is the position of the arms. Although the hands are not well preserved, one can see that they are gathered together and placed high on the chest area just below the neck, and this is not consistent with the position of holding breasts which is usually very clear. The arms are well articulated on the front and the back of the figurine. The pubic area is articulated by two clear incised lines that form the pubic triangle. From the tip of pubic triangle, a line continued straight down separating the legs. This is also evident by the roundness of the preserved portion of the thighs. Now what is peculiar here is the back of this figurine, as it shows no separation of the legs, as if the figure was dressed with a long gown. This is very bizarre because it makes it difficult to decide if the figure is naked or dressed due to the contrast between the front which shows the pubic area, and the back which does not reveal any details of the body. Although the pubic triangle is represented in a clear way, there was no emphasis on any other areas like the hips, buttocks area or the breast. Hence, it could be only an indication that the figure is female, and nothing more. Looking more in depth, this figurine resembles the Egyptian figurines that were represented laying down flat on their back. And giving the fact that this particular figurine does not resemble the rest of the body of anthropomorphic figurines in Urkesh, then it could be imported or it could be an attempt to replicate a style influenced by the Egyptians. In any case, this figurine was probably meant to be lying flat on its back or to hang on wall, because one has to consider its proportions and thickness if we want to assume that it was meant to stand. If it is meant to stand, then the head would have been flat from the back side, because if we take into consideration the thickness of this figurine, a round piece of clay (the head) will probably cause the figurine to tip over and fall, unless the figurine was placed on a platform, which is impossible to verify in this case. There is the possibility that this figurine was mold made, but it will be unwise to say this with certainty because the figurine was not examined up close to determine this.