Pendant with Near Eastern Goddess (Astarte?)

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Pendant with Near Eastern Goddess (Astarte?)

Place of OriginPossibly Syria

DateLate 16th-13th century BCE

DimensionsMax L: 1 1/8 in. (2.7 cm); Max W: 7/8 in. (2.2 cm)

MediumMolded monochrome dark blue glass.

ClassificationJewelry

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.218

Not on View

Collections

Glass

Published ReferencesBarag, Dan P., "Mesopotamian Core-Formed Glass Vessels (1500-500 B.C.)," in A. Leo Oppenheim, Robert H. Brill, Dan P. Barag, and Axel von Saldern, Glass and Glassmaking in Ancient Mesopotamia, Corning, N.Y., 1970, pp. 188-189 and 199.

Grose, David F., Early Ancient Glass: Core-Formed, Rod-Formed, and Cast Vessels and Objects from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Roman Empire, 1600 B.C. to A.D. 50, Hudson Hills Press in Association with the Toledo Museum of Art, New York, 1989, cat. no. 2, p. 58, repr. (col.) p. 39, drawing, p. 397.

Label TextThis fragmentary glass pendant, dating to around 1500 B.C., preserves the upper portion of a standing female figure, part of a small group of goddess pendants (1923.195, 1923.214, 1923.218) that are among the earliest glass objects in the Museum’s collection. The figure’s gesture of holding her breasts is a widespread symbol of fertility, childbirth, and protection. Pendants like this have been found in Egypt, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, Cyprus, and Mycenaean Greece, especially at Megiddo, Lachish, and Beth Shean, where their temple contexts suggest a votive function. While often linked to Ishtar (Astarte), their widespread use indicates a broader fertility-related significance rather than direct divine representation. Similar figures in metal and pottery highlight a shared religious tradition across the region. This pendant was cast in an open, one-piece mold, with a raised moldmark on the right arm and a thread hole for suspension. Its widespread distribution suggests it was part of an interconnected trade and religious network.