Bone figurine of two female figures

Greek, about 700-650 BC
From Kamiros, Rhodes

A double figurine, probably of a goddess

Two identical naked female figures hold their arms by their sides and each wears a polos or headdress, probably indicating that they are goddesses. Although the inspiration for figures like this certainly came from the east, it is not clear who the two females represent.

The figurine was found in a well in the precinct of the Temple of Athena at Kamiros in Rhodes. It seems to have been part of a group of votive objects cleared from the site, perhaps after a phase of demolition, as other objects in the group show signs of burning. The figurine was probably carved locally, perhaps specifically for dedication at the sanctuary.

L. Schofield, 'The influence of Eastern religions on the iconography of ivory and bone objects in the Kameiros well' in Ivory in Greece and the East-2, British Museum Occasional Paper 85 (, 1992)