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Venus in Mammoth Furs: Modern Minds with Dark Corners?
Robert King
Published: 2015/03/01
Abstract
The Venus figurines are among the most mysterious products of Upper Palaeolithic art in Europe. While pointing to aesthetic tastes in the Palaeolithic, they pose questions about their purpose and the minds of their creators. We do not know and most likely will never know with certainty whether they are depictions of real women or stylized ideals of feminine beauty or feminine virtues, whether they represent objects of desire or veneration. The present article points to some rarely noticed features of some of the figurines which suggest new interpretations of their nature and the minds of their creators.
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