Engraved Vulva
Feminine symbol
Aurignacian
Around 35 000 years
The figurative model of these feminine sexual signs is so morphologically simple and bears such a significant primal strength that it transcends both time and prehistoric cultures without any notable variations.
D. Vialou, Au cœur de la Préhistoire. Chasseurs et artistes. Découvertes Gallimard, Paris. 1991
Commentary :
More than 35 000 years ago, the female body is depicted in numerous ways, foremost among which were symbolic sexual forms.
These representations take the form of deep engravings on blocks and the walls of rock shelters. The engraving of these feminine symbols on the body of the rock, in the very heart of occupation sites, reflects the importance of sexuality and reproduction in society.
The sacred mystery of birth, which is of fundamental importance to the survival of the first modern humans, is therefore given pride of place, in their everyday lives.
These symbolic engravings in stone, also usher in a new means of visual and graphic transmission that prolongs both oral traditions and the myths.