Venus of Kostenky
Prehistoric Paleolithic Bone Carving: Russian Stone Age Figurine: Characteristics, Photograph.

Venus of Kostenky (30,000 BCE)
Earliest art found in Russia.

Venus of Kostenky

Contents

• Introduction
• Discovery
• Date
• Characteristics
• Interpretation

Introduction

The bone Venus of Kostenky is the oldest known prehistoric sculpture in Russia and is second only to the Venus of Hohle Fels (35,000-40,000 BCE) - as the earliest example of 3-D prehistoric art from the Aurignacian culture of the Upper Paleolithic Stone Age - the period dating roughly from 40,000 to 26,000 BCE, during which Neanderthal Man was replaced by anatomically modern man. One of a large number of "Venus Figurines" created during this period, it should not be confused with its sister figurine, the limestone Venus of Kostenky, which was found at the same site but dates from a later period.

PREHISTORIC ART in IRELAND
For details of arts & culture
during the Pleistocene and
Holocene epochs, see:
Irish Stone Age Art
Mainly megalithic architecture
Irish Bronze Age Art
Celtic metalwork, tomb-building
Irish Iron Age Art
La Tene Celtic culture, sculpture

Discovery

Unfortunately, the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg does not provide an authoritative date of discovery for this figurine. However, we do know it was found at the famous archeological site of Kostenky, situated in a steep ravine in the central Russian province of Voronezh. The complex actually consists of a stratified series of sites of Stone Age hunter-gatherer settlements of the Aurignacian, Gravettian and Magdalenian cultures, spanning the period 40,000 to 8,000 BCE, where numerous finds of prehistoric artifacts, tools, fossils and other ancient materials have already been made.

To see how the Kostenky carving fits into the artistic evolution of petroglyphs and other rock art during the Upper Paleolithic period of the Stone Age, see: Prehistoric Art Timeline.

Date

The bone Venus of Kostenky was carved at the end of the Aurignacian culture of the Upper Paleolithic period, and is dated to 30,000 BCE. As stated above, this makes it the earliest figurative work of art of the period, and the third oldest item of 3-D art of the entire Stone Age: predated only by the Venus of Berekhat Ram and the Venus of Tan-Tan, both from the Acheulean culture of the Lower/Middle Paleolithic and not connected with the Kostenky type.

Characteristics

The bone Venus of Kostenky is carved from mammoth bone and has a number of features characteristic of most Aurignacian and Gravettian venus statuettes: including, a pregnant belly, fat buttocks and ultra drooping breasts.

However, what makes this venus so unusual is its overall "wasted" appearance. Despite its general obese status, its neck and shoulders are relatively normal in size, and its hanging breasts are not full like those of other similar figures. Instead they look half-empty. The resulting impression is one of a tall, pregnant, slightly wasted and somewhat older woman. This is quite different from most other female figurines, exemplified by the Venus of Willendorf (Austria) and the Venus of Gagarino, that approach caricature in their swollen forms and exaggerated obesity. (Other famous venus sculptures from the Upper Paleolithic include the Venus of Lespugue, the Venus of Mal'ta, the Venus of Brassempouy, the Venus of Monpazier, the celebrated bas-relief known as the Venus of Laussel, and the Venus of Dolni Vestonice.)

Interpretation

Because this sculpture is much more true-to-life than many of its counterparts, it does not easily fit the usual fertility or supernatural explanations, given for the cultural significance of venus figurines. Instead, one almost feels that the sculptor was trying to portray a real person.

One awaits further treasures from this extraordinary Russian excavation.

• For the oldest art of prehistory, see: Bhimbetka Petroglyphs.
• See also: Ivory Carvings Swabian Jura - Oldest Art
• For the origins of painting and sculpture, see: Art Encyclopedia.