Venus of Dolní Věstonice
Sculpture; ceramic figurine • Unknown Paleolithic craftsman (Gravettian culture)
Style & Movement
Paleolithic Art (Prehistoric)
Medium & Technique
Fired clay (ceramic); molded from local loess mixed with water and fired in a primitive kiln
Creation Period
Upper Paleolithic (Gravettian culture), estimated between 29,000 and 25,000 BCE
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 11.1 cm (4.4 inches) in height; 4.3 cm wide. Small, portable format (venis figurine).
Subject Description
A steatopygian female figure with exaggerated physical features, including large breasts, belly, and hips. The head is minimalist with two slits for eyes, and the legs taper to a point. It serves as an early representation of fertility or a 'Mother Goddess' archetype.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good (Ancient); broken into two pieces when discovered and subsequently restored.
Estimated Market Value
Inestimable/Priceless (National cultural heritage of the Czech Republic; not for sale)
Auction Estimate
N/A (Sovereign cultural property; if it were legal to sell, it would exceed $50-100 million as one of the world's oldest ceramics)
Provenance History
Discovered on July 13, 1925, at the Dolní Věstonice site in Moravia, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic), in a layer of ash; currently held by the Moravian Museum in Brno.
Art Historical Significance
It is the oldest known ceramic article in the world. It provides crucial evidence of early human mastery of pyrotechnics and kilns long before the Neolithic agricultural revolution.
Notable Features
Distinctive four holes at the top of the head (possibly for feathers or organic decoration); a 25,000-year-old fingerprint of a child fossilized in the clay on the back of the figure.
Condition Issues
Visible vertical crack along the torso; historical break at the waist (repaired); small fissures and surface abrasions consistent with burial for 25,000+ years.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintained in a climate-controlled, high-security vault; displayed only on rare occasions under low UV lighting and constant humidity monitoring.