Ancient Mesopotamian carved bone God idol, circa 3000 BC, may represent either Ishtar or her older sister Ereshkigal. Height: 3.25 inches = 8.25 cm + stand. Weight: 45.62 g; Rare carved bone seated idol with big thighs seated on a throne. Provenance: Ex Robert Haber Ancient Art NYC. Robert Habera’s interest in archeology and antiquities came about while studying in Jerusalem. While working on an excavation, he discovered the practical world of archaeological conservation, and was immediately enthralled with the field. In pursuit of a career in the conservation of antiquities, Mr. Haber was awarded an apprenticeship at the Israel Museum and was later hired by the restoration department. He went on to study at the University College London as a Kress Fellow under Prof. Henry Hodges and received a Diploma in the Conservation of Ancient Materials. Condition Report: natural wear as seen, no alterations. Mesopotamian religion was polytheistic, thereby accepting the existence of many different deities, both male and female, though it was also henotheistic,[14] with certain gods being viewed as superior to others by their specific devotees. These devotees were often from a particular city or city-state that held that deity as its tutelary deity; for instance, Enki was often associated with the city of Eridu in Sumer, Assur with Assur and Assyria, Enlil with the Sumerian city of Nippur, Ishtar with the Assyrian city of Arbela, and the god Marduk with Babylon.[15] Though the full number of gods and goddesses found in Mesopotamia is not known, K. Tallqvist, in his Akkadische Götterepitheta (1938) counted around 2,400 that scholars know, most of which had Sumerian names. In the Sumerian language, the gods were referred to as dingir, while in the Akkadian language they were known as ilu and it seems that there was syncretism between the gods worshipped by the two groups, adopting one another's deities.[16] https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/deit/hd_deit.htm#:~:text=From%20about%20the%20middle%20of,and%20adorned%20with%20decorated%20garments.