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Seated Woman of Çatalhöyük

The Seated Woman of Çatalhöyük is a baked-clay figurine from around 6000 BC, found at Çatalhöyük, an ancient Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlement in Anatolia, now Turkey. It depicts a nude woman or mother goddess seated on a throne and flanked by two leopards, and is believed to symbolize fertility because of its exaggerated female features and birthing pose. Only about twelve centimeters tall, it is one of several similar figures found at the site and is associated with Paleolithic Venus figures such as the Venus of Willendorf. Discovered by James Mellaart in 1961, the sculpture is now in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara.

Seated Woman of Çatalhöyük earthenware sculpture showing a seated obese woman between two animal heads.
The Seated Woman of Çatalhöyük, a pale-brown earthenware sculpture of a seated woman between two animal heads.
September 2011 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Seated Woman of Çatalhöyük figurine with rounded forms and animal-headed armrests.
The Seated Woman of Çatalhöyük shown as a light-brown figurine against a black background.
February 2018 © · CC0
Seated Woman of Çatalhöyük figurine with animal heads on the armrests, displayed in a museum case.
The Seated Woman of Çatalhöyük shown as a seated figurine with animal-head armrests in a museum display case.
September 2023 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Seated Woman of Çatalhöyük sculpture showing a large woman seated on a throne with two feline heads beside her hands.
The Seated Woman of Çatalhöyük, shown seated on a throne with feline figures supporting her hands.
December 2008 © · CC BY 2.0
Seated Woman of Çatalhöyük figurine on a museum display surface, with a throne-like seat and animal-shaped supports.
The Seated Woman of Çatalhöyük displayed in a museum, showing the seated figurine with animal-like side supports.
October 2005 © · CC BY-SA 2.0

Identification

TitleSeated Woman of Çatalhöyük
Original-language nameMujer sentada de Çatalhöyük
Typefigurine

Historical context

PeriodNeolithic
Cultural contextChalcolithic periods

Creator

ArtistUnknown

Discovery and provenance

Discovery year1961
DiscovererJames Mellaart
Discovery locationÇatalhöyük, Anatolia (present-day Turkey)
Discovery contextFound inside a grain storage container in the settlement's residential area
Condition at discoveryThe woman's head, her right hand, and one of the leopard heads were missing

History and restoration

RestorationThe missing parts are modern replacements

Physical characteristics

Weight1 kg (2.2 lb)
Dimensions17 cm long, 11 cm wide, 12 cm high
Heightabout 12 cm

Materials

Materialfired clay

Appearance

SubjectNude female figure
PoseSeated, giving birth
SeatingSeated on a throne with two hand rests
Arm-rest motifFeline heads, variously described as lioness, leopard, or panther heads; Mistress of Animals motif
Associated animalsTwo leopards flanking her on both sides

Iconography and meaning

Depicted figurea naked woman or Mother Goddess
Interpretationa symbol of fertility
Interpretation basisthe exaggerated limbs of the female figure
Interpretation by MellaartRepresented a fertility goddess worshipped by the people of Çatalhöyük
Possible functionMay have been a figurine used in domestic cult worship
Comparative examplesAssociated with the so-called Paleolithic Venuses, especially the Venus of Willendorf; one of several iconographically similar figures found at the site

Other

Alternative nameÇatal Höyük

Location and ownership

Current locationMuseum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara, Turkey