Gypsum Eye Figurine - The Object
The gypsum eye figurine is of Mesopotamian origin and was excavated alongside thousands of other similar figurines from the ‘Eye Temple’ in Tell Brak, in present North Eastern Syria, a known religious center, and was incorporated into the mortar with which the mud brick temple was built from. It is a flat plank like sculpture with iconography on one side only, defining stylistic characteristics of typical works of art from that period. The sculptures were fashioned after the people that had created them, this particular figurine has been restored in a Mallowan type 4, mother and child figurine style – the figurine depicts a mother and her two children. Other figurines excavated from the site would consist of variations such as multiple eyes, and other various adornments ranging from jewellery to items such as hats and even multiple characters detailed.
Drawings of other Mesopotamian Eye Idols, all excavated from the Eye Temple in Tell Brak. Each characteristic makes the sculpture unique and represents the individuals that created them. For example, hats were meant to represent priests of the time whilst multiple heads meant husband and wife. The other images highlight the textures and dimensions of the Gypsum Eye Figurine.
Gypsum Eye Figurine - catalogue number 2012/12, part of the UCL Institute of Archaeology Collections.
The dimensions of the object are as follows:
Length: 89.5mm
Across head width: 36mm
Across shoulder width: 45.8mm
Head fragment thickness: 6.1mm
Shoulder fragment thickness: 5mm
Sources
Boyd, T. 2004. The Eye Goddess and The Evil Eye [online] Available at: <www.sacredthreads.net>
Goldsborough, R. 2014. Owl and Eye Figurines [online]. Available at: <http://athenianowlcoins.reidgold.com/figurines.html>
Institute of Archaeology Collections (IOA)., 20??. Figurine 2012/12. [online]. Available at:<http://archcat.museums.ucl.ac.uk/>
Matney, T. 1986. A Technical Study of the Eye-Idols from Tell Brak, North Syria. Unpublished BA Dissertation, Institute of Archaeology UCL, p.109
McIntosh, J. R. 2005. Ancient Mesopotamia: New Perspectives (Understanding Ancient Civilizations). 1st Ed. California. ABC – CLIO
Moorey, P. R. S. 1999. Ancient Mesopotamian Materials and Industries: The Archaeologyicla Evidence. Reprint. Indiana, Eisenbrauns
Ur, Jason, Karsgaard, P and Oates, J. 2011. The Spatial Dimensions of Early Mesopotamian Urbanism: The Tell Brak Suburban Survey, 2003-2006. Iraq 73: 1-19.
Relation to Power in Society
The role of the object in its historical context was to act as a votive offering towards the gods. Each object was hand made individually depicting its creators and crudely flat carved out of gypsum using hammers and chisels creating the overall shape and also the relieved detailing. This is based on the belief that humans were physically present in these sculptures.
The symbolism of the eye within the figurine meant one or more, of three things: wisdom, protection and sexuality. Wide eyes are meant to be all seeing and knowing and hence represented wisdom. The attentive nature of the gods who watch over and protect the people who make the offerings represented protection. The wide eyes also represented the physiological reaction of human beings who are sexually aroused, as eyes tend to dilate in this state, indicating sexuality.
Also, being found with thousands of similar figurines within a site that is of a religious nature, there is an indication of early-organized religion – a historically prevalent source of power in all societies throughout time.
In a contemporary museum setting, the object reflects the power of museums over knowledge as they can manipulate and shape the perception of a culture on the basis of the curator. This can lead to biased interpretations of the culture being studied creating an alternate and false representation.
In the case of the figurine, once removed from its original site of creation, and without the original context, we would disregard it as being such an important piece of religious iconography that held so much value to the people creating it.
Additionally, it must be noted that the object is a composite restoration of two other original figurines and was restored in a Mallowan Type 4- mother child style. The current state only represents what the object could look like, but this is based on an assumption that can be potentially false. What does this say about the power of the museum and curators in todays society?
Finally, the artefact has been commodified and reduced to an object that holds significantly lesser value in todays society - it is easy to buy replicas and even original figurines in markets near the temple. These hold no value to the person purchasing it like it would have in its original context. This shift in value shows the progression of culture and also its impact on what society deems to be powerful.