Ca. 3100-2500 BC. Bactrian. A beautiful example of a column idol (sometimes called a pillar idol), hand-carved from cream coloured Alabaster. The body of the idol is highly abstract, with an hourglass form. The lower end curves out gently to a slightly convex base with a shallow, horizontal groove down it. The upper end flares outward at a steeper angle and has a flat base, also with a shallow, horizontal groove through it. Both intriguing and quixotic, this is a wonderful example of abstract anthropomorphic artistry from the ancient world. Stone idols like this example are known in a variety of fascinating forms throughout the pre-literate ancient world. They are attested across the vast expanses of Western Asia from the Caspian Sea to Afghanistan, including ancient Bactria. Their precise meaning remains elusive, but the many hours of labour required for their manufacture indicate that these were prestige items, perhaps used during religious ceremonies. For more information on Bactria, see Mairs, R. (ed.) (2020). The Graeco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek World. London: Taylor & Francis. Size: L:110mm / W:75mm ; 1kg. Provenance: Property of an Oxfordshire art professional; previously in an old British collection, formed in the 1990s on the UK / International art markets.