Snake Goddess Minoan Statuette at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, USA.
This Minoan-style "Snake Goddess" statuette, currently in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, depicts a female figure in traditional palatial attire, including a crown, a gold girdle, and a five-flounced skirt edged with gold bands.
Despite being long admired as a masterpiece of Minoan ivory and gold craftsmanship, the statuette remains a subject of debate regarding its authenticity. Critics have frequently pointed to stylistic anomalies, such as a facial structure deemed "too modern" and hips that appear uncharacteristically narrow compared to verified Minoan figurines from Crete.
Sascett, L. H. in "The Palaikastro Kouros: A Masterpiece of Minoan Sculpture in Ivory and Gold" states the statuette is a forgery based on comparisons with the Palaikastro Kouros, which was recovered during a meticulous, modern scientific excavation. He notes that the genuine, highly detailed carving and assembly techniques revealed by the Kouros now provide a crucial benchmark for scholars to study and identify which other museum ivories are authentic and which are clever modern forgeries. (27). Most scholars agree with this assessment.
Photo: 2006
Animals Art Boston Museum of Fine Arts Bronze Age Chryselephantine Gold Ivory Minoan Not Ancient Original Photo Sculpture Statuettes USA