Votive Statues

The Statue of a Man was constructed during the Early Dynastic Period in Ur, Iraq. This doll sized statue made of alabaster, shell, and lapis is considered a votive statue because of the resemblance to a human being and that it was found in a shrine. Votive statues were placed in shrines to offer prayers and worship gods. The materials used make it hard to create an image without time and patience. This means these statues are made with intent to stand forever in front of the gods.
The statue shows a standing man wearing a skirt with his hands clasps in front of his breast. The man’s skirt – that covers his stomach to his ankles- is made of leaves. The shapes of the leaves are hexagons with a thin line in between each one, making it clear they should be leaves. Under his feet is a platform that helps him stand up and look at his god. His lapis eyes are the first thing people spot because the black outline and the bright blue of the lapis make them stand out. The artist must have made the eyes the focus point because they are looking upward to the gods. Meaning that this art is specifically made with the god in mind. The man has a round face with pointy elf like ears and pointed nose. Despite the eyes and nose, there is one part of him that stands out, his smile. His mouth …show more content…
Many of the statues have wide exaggerated shoulders, which could mean this look is an important symbol to their gods. However, they are still accurate depictions of people because the viewer can see a human in the statue. Every statue is unique like all the humans during that time. Not one statue looks exactly like the other. There a many bald statues like the Statue of a Man, but they do not smile like he does. His smile is a rare image in these statues, which makes one think of why he has one. In the Statue of a Man, the artist creates a friendly face in order to display the man’s happiness to be in front of the