This Bronze Age clay plank figure decorated with incised lines was intended to help the deceased in the afterlife.
Found in the passageway of a looted tomb chamber in Cyprus, the rectangular figure is thought to have represented a major female deity, possibly the fertility goddess Inanna-Ishtar, an eastern precursor of Aphrodite. It may be that the figure is a psychopompos,who escorted the souls of the deceased to the Underworld where they were reborn into another life.
The plank figure is decorated with an incised choker necklace, a larger looped necklace and a headband, and the hair is also incised. Oblique lines on the cheeks may represent tattoos, body paint or hair. The eyes are impressed dot rosettes and the nose is depicted in relief. The surviving ear has three holes, probably for earrings.
