Stargazer – Cycladic Art

This “Stargazer” Figurine is a 6,000-year-old sculpture, referred to as the “Stargazer.” The figurine is called the “Stargazer” because the eyes are looking up to the stars above.

The head is sculptured entirely in the round, while the body is reduced to a simple yet elegant profile. The nose is depicted as a slight ridge on a straight-line edge. The head tilted backward, and the eyes are tiny dots raised in relief.

The Stargazer is similar to other Cycladic Art, which flourished in the islands of the Aegean Sea. However, this ancient masterpiece was found in Western Anatolia, an area that was one of the significant crossroads of ancient civilizations.

Geographically it is a broad peninsula that lies between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Called Asia Minor or Lesser Asia by the Romans, the land today is part of modern Turkey.

Figurines were made throughout the Aegean during the prehistoric period, and this figurine represents an early, highly stylized form.

The bulbous head, long neck, and flat body are characteristic of the Kilia-type, named after the village in western Turkey, where the first examples were found.

The Kilia type statuettes are considerably earlier in date than related figures produced in the Cyclades, although they are probably linked by spiritual practices prevalent in the ancient Mediterranean.

The purpose of this masterpiece is not known. All we can do is speculate on the creative and spiritual forces that created this beautiful and mysterious figure.