Astarte,
Ancient Canaanite Goddess
of Love, Beauty and Fertility
Much like the Greek Aphrodite, this Canaanite Goddess image of Astarte is of the
Potnia Theron tradition and shows the Goddess holding wheat sheaves and dancing,
flanked by two leaping goats or ibexes.
Her worship influenced both the Cretan and Greek images of their Goddesses of
similar attributes.
This particular image was taken from a fragment of an ivory unguent box lid
discovered in Ras Shamra in Syria and dates from around 1500 BCE. The
workmanship is thought to be Minoan. Many other images of Astarte exist but none
as delicately beautiful as this one.
Astarte was considered to be an analogue to Goddesses like Inanna who had
Quodeshtu Priestesses in service to Her. Her ancient dance is captured by the
consummate art of Oberon Zell and turned into an exquisite pendant to grace the
neck of a modern priestess, belly dancer or other devotee of the Goddess.
It measures 1-1/4 inches in diameter (not including the loop and bale) and is
available in Nebula, the wonderful new hypoallergenic alloy, lightly hand
painted with black to give contrast to the bright, non tarnishing metal
revealing the exquisite detail of the design.
more Astarte statues and products here |
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