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Black Venus of Dolni Vestonice
One of the oldest known examples of ceramic in the world, the Black Venus was found at the pre-historic site of Dolni Vestonice in Moravia, Czech Republic in 1925 CE. The figure is thought to have been sculpted between 29,000 and 25,000 years ago. Its faceless, voluptuous figure is typical of the Venus figurines of Ice Age Europe, but the material used to make it is rare. It gets its unique black colour from the combination of ground bone and clay used to make it. This material produced a self-glazing, black finish in the kiln and can be seen on many of the other ceramic pieces found at the same site. The original figurine is rarely on public display, but it is part of the collection of the Moravian Museum's Anthropos Pavilion in Brno, Czech Republic.
Questions & Answers
What is the Paleolithic art period?
- The Upper Paleolithic (Late Stone Age, c. 50,000 to c. 12,000 years ago) is the period in human prehistory when we see the emergence of art. Upper Paleolithic art is usually divided into two categories: rock/cave art and portable art such as animal and anthropomorphic figurines.
Did any paintings survive from the Paleolithic period?
- Yes, there are surviving cave paintings from the Paleolithic period. The most famous ones include Altamira Cave in Spain, and Lascaux Cave and Chauvet Cave in France.
