Anthropomorphic Ivory Statuette
Sacred figure
Hohlenstein Stadel type, Germany
Early Aurignacian
Around 40 000 years
One can imagine that the hybrid representation of man and animal was an important aspect in the spiritual system of human groups from the region.
N. Conard, Les chemins de l’art Aurignacien en Europe. Musée Forum Aurignac. 200
Commentary :
The Hohlenstein Stadel ivory statuette discovered in a cave in southern Germany is one of the oldest known human representations. This hybrid image expresses the intimate integration of the beastliness and strength of the lion in the silhouette of a standing man, while its creative form denotes above all a genuine fusion between the human spirit with that of the feline.
The symbolic and plastic power of this unique work is encapsulated in the clear departure from a naturalistic representation of the world as well as in the emergence of new imaginary and mythical creativity. Around 40,000 years ago, modern humans built a new worldview born from his capacity for figuration.