Venus Figures
Catherine Tennison
Humanities DC
A3
Venus Figures
Venus figures have been found in various places of the world, at different time periods. This implies that all cultures shared a common belief or a common thought of women and their bodies. The Venus figures are most popularly known to represent fertility. These figurines were typically made from soft stone (steatite, calcite or limestone), bone, ivory, wood, or ceramic clays. The similarity of each Venus figurine from each time period shows how a common thought be shared across a continent for long periods of time. There are virtually thousands of Venus figurines. Typically, they were made from soft stone, bone, ivory, wood or ceramic clays. Venus figurines were built with large breasts, stomachs, and legs. They did not have a face, and tiny arms rested upon the breasts. On their heads, a woven-like pattern is seen, possibly meaning their hair was braided or they were wearing a hat. They are sometimes described as “lozenge-shaped”. The Venus figurines are thought to symbolize many different things. The most popular idea the figurines are thought to represent in fertility. Tying in with that, it is thought to shown the stages of a woman’s life: pubescence, pregnancy, childbirth, and the obesity of later life. Other theories are that they were religious symbols, sex symbols for men, or even self-portraits of women taken from a distorted perspective. Socially, women were not dominant for centuries. Women have usually been viewed as a symbol of sex, “trophies”, or house-keepers in a sense. The Venus figures are arguably sex symbols. They depict women’s’ fertility. With this, it is inferable that they were looked up to, but inferior. Women were attainable “things” that had no power over a man and his masculinity. When looking at the Venus figures, we can analyze them to assume that men wanted women and wanted many of them, because they saw them as just figures. Venus figures were made by people across
Humanities DC
A3
Venus Figures
Venus figures have been found in various places of the world, at different time periods. This implies that all cultures shared a common belief or a common thought of women and their bodies. The Venus figures are most popularly known to represent fertility. These figurines were typically made from soft stone (steatite, calcite or limestone), bone, ivory, wood, or ceramic clays. The similarity of each Venus figurine from each time period shows how a common thought be shared across a continent for long periods of time. There are virtually thousands of Venus figurines. Typically, they were made from soft stone, bone, ivory, wood or ceramic clays. Venus figurines were built with large breasts, stomachs, and legs. They did not have a face, and tiny arms rested upon the breasts. On their heads, a woven-like pattern is seen, possibly meaning their hair was braided or they were wearing a hat. They are sometimes described as “lozenge-shaped”. The Venus figurines are thought to symbolize many different things. The most popular idea the figurines are thought to represent in fertility. Tying in with that, it is thought to shown the stages of a woman’s life: pubescence, pregnancy, childbirth, and the obesity of later life. Other theories are that they were religious symbols, sex symbols for men, or even self-portraits of women taken from a distorted perspective. Socially, women were not dominant for centuries. Women have usually been viewed as a symbol of sex, “trophies”, or house-keepers in a sense. The Venus figures are arguably sex symbols. They depict women’s’ fertility. With this, it is inferable that they were looked up to, but inferior. Women were attainable “things” that had no power over a man and his masculinity. When looking at the Venus figures, we can analyze them to assume that men wanted women and wanted many of them, because they saw them as just figures. Venus figures were made by people across
Cited: "Prehistoric Art & Ancient Art - The Art History Archive." Prehistoric Art & Ancient Art - The Art History Archive. Web. 15 Sept. 2014. "Venus Figurines." About. Web. 15 Sept. 2014. "Prehistoric Venus Figurines (30,000-20,000 BCE)." Venus Figurines, Prehistoric: Definition, Characteristics, Interpretation. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.