ClassificationsAncient Near Eastern Art
Eye Idol
Possible OriginAsia
Date3500-3000 BCE
MediumGlass (? modern)
Credit LineAnonymous gift in memory of Genevieve Arnold
Dimensions3/8 x 11/16" (1 x 1.7 cm)
Object number2007.017.001
Label TextTo help ward off all the misfortunes in the world, ancient Mesopotamians created a wide variety of protective charms and images. Some of the most mysterious of these are the enigmatic cult objects from northern Mesopotamia known as eye idols, or spectacle idols. Their exact purpose is unknown, but they may have been used to protect the owner from the "evil eye" or to represent a particular deity. The abstract images come in a variety of sizes and materials. This example is exceptional in both its small size and its beautiful, translucent stone.Exhibition HistoryRecent Acquisitions, Michael C. Carlos Museum, March 31 - September 10, 2009
Published ReferencesMichael C. Carlos Museum Highlights of the Collections (Atlanta: Michael C. Carlos Museum, 2011), 29.
ProvenanceEx private collection, Germany. Purchased by donor from Howard Nowes Ancient Art, May 17, 2007.
Status
Not on viewCollections
- Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art
800-600 BCE
664-180 BCE
3500-3400 BCE
3500-3350 BCE
ca. 4500-4000 BCE
late 19th-early 20th Century
1980-1760 BCE
722-332 BCE
1539-1077 BCE
1450-800 BCE
late 2nd Millennium BCE