Ivory Horse
Figurine
Vogelherd type, Germany
Aurignacian
Around 40 000 years
Almost all the figurines are covered with signs that seem to reflect a deliberate choice.
H. Floss, Les chemins de l’art Aurignacien en Europe. Editions Musée-forum Aurignac. 2007
Commentary :
Forty thousand years ago, Aurignacian art abounded in previously unknown visual art expressions, such as these small animal figurines, from Vogelherd Cave in southwestern Germany.
True to life, these early representations of large mammals, carnivores and felines, are carved from mammoth ivory, and fit in the palm of the hand. Easy to handle, they accompany people on their journeys, and give form to their imagination.
This ivory horse from Vogelherd is one of the oldest animal representations, and realistically express a deep and complex mythical idea.