Seated Mother Goddess
Unknown Artist
ca. 3000–2500 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H. 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm); W. 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture & Period
Pakistan (Baluchistan) · Indus Civilization, Mehrgarh style
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Nancy Wiener Gallery Gift, 2001
Accession Number
2001.305
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Seated Mother Goddess*, a captivating terracotta figurine from ancient Pakistan's Baluchistan region, crafted around 3000–2500 BCE during the Indus Civilization in the Mehrgarh style. Standing just 5¼ inches tall, this petite sculpture (H. 5¼ in.; W. 1⅝ in.) embodies the reverence for female divinity in one of the world's earliest urban societies. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Nancy Wiener Gallery Gift in 2001, it now graces the Asian Art department. These mother goddess figures, common in Indus Valley cultures, likely symbolized fertility, protection, and...