Three Deities
Date ca. 14th-13th century BCE
Movement Aegean | Mycenaean
Medium Ivory
Dimensions height 3″
Provenance Shrine adjacent to palace, Mycenae, Greece
Housed at National Archaeological Museum, Athens
Religious shrines found within citadels, coupled with the writings upon ancient clay tablets, have confirmed that the Mycenaeans worshipped a number of deities, including Poseidon. This ivory sculpture found in one such shrine is believed to have been the work of a Cretan, given the figures’ flounced skirts that closely resemble that of the Snake Goddess. Whether or not this statuette actually represents deities is up for debate—it could simply represent a grandmother, mother, and child, especially given their intimate positioning.