Goddess
Unknown Artist
ca. 3500–3000 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm); W. 3/4 in. (1.9 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture
Pakistan (Quetta area)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, David E. Stutzman Gift, 2003
Accession Number
2003.571.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This petite terracotta figurine, *Goddess*, hails from the Quetta area of ancient Pakistan and dates to around 3500–3000 BCE. Standing just 2¾ inches tall, it exemplifies the early craftsmanship of the Indus Valley cultural tradition—one of the world's earliest urban civilizations, flourishing along the Indus River in what is now Pakistan and northwest India. Crafted from fired clay, a durable and accessible medium, such small sculptures were likely hand-modeled, capturing simple yet evocative forms that suggest a female deity. These goddess figures hold profound cultural importance, often in...