#marbe

An Anatolian marble female idol of Lilliya type,

Chalcolithic period, c. 3000-2200 BC. 

9 in (22.9 cm) high. 

The Guennol Stargazer is from the Chalcolithic period, between 3000 and 2200 BC, and is considered to be one of the most impressive of its type known to exist. 

‘Stargazer’ is the colloquial title derived from the slightly tilted-back angle at which the large head rests on the thin neck, thus creating the whimsical impression of the figure staring up at the heavens.

There are only about 15 nearly complete idols that survive, although fragmentary examples, particularly heads, abound. Most of the complete examples have been broken across the neck, as with the present figure, suggesting that the sculptures were ritually ‘killed’ at the time of burial.

My inspiration: 

When I was reading my textbook the section about the origins of nail polish really stuck with me. Queen Nefertiti stained her nails red with henna to signify her status. Although I didn’t use much red throughout the project I drew on the image of Aten, the sun god that Nefertiti ruled under. I also drew on Beyonce’s depiction of Queen Nefertiti in ‘Sorry’ and images from Solange’s ‘Cranes in the Sky’. I had these images in mind and I wanted to challenge my drawing and painting skills so I made the painting which I’ve entitled 'Queen’. I’ve never painted anything or worked with acrylic paint so I wanted to use this opportunity to work on that. Finally, I created complimentary nail designs and put them on a pyramid that I made out of wire.