Standing Male Figure
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Standing Male Figure” now? Collection: Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Cambridge, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
This standing statuette features a truncated body with curving legs that point forward and two short arms, held horizontally, that curve slightly forward and end in points. There is a prominent projection on the back of the torso at the same level as the arms. There is a ridge in relief around the ankle of the left foot. A raised, curving arc on the torso may represent the diaphragm. A slight bump below this arc may indicate either the naval or the genitalia. The figure’s large head wears a pointed top and is dominated by two prominent eyes that are perforated from front to back. They contain small pieces of another material. They are separated by a beak-like nose under which is a horizontal collar in relief. The pointed top of the head or cap is missing its tip.
Read on
The rudimentary nature of this statuette makes it difficult to determine gender or workshop. However, the position of the arms, the pointed head or conical cap, and the presence of what may be male genitalia suggest a god. The prominent eyes, bored completely through the head, indicate a distinctive workshop of similar votive statuettes somewhere in the Levant.
David G. Mitten
Harvard Art Museums
Details
- Accession number
- 1992.256.74
In the catalog
Sources
- Harvard Art Museums
- Image: Harvard Art Museums — © President and Fellows of Harvard College
