Terracotta model of a shrine
Not on view
The model originally had pilasters on either side of the opening. The vertical form inside is an aniconic representation of the fertility goddess Astarte. Similar depictions are known from the Levant and Cyprus. Model shrines began to be made in Cyprus during the Chalcolithic period and, due to Phoenician influence, were produced in particular quantity during the Archaic period. All of the excavated examples come from tombs.
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