Astarte is the name of the ancient Canaanite Goddess of love, beauty and fertility. She was very much like the Greek Aphrodite. This image of Astarte is of the Potnia Theron tradition and shows the Goddess holding wheat sheaves and dancing, flanked by two leaping goats or ibexes. Her worship influenced both the Cretan and Greek images of their Goddesses of similar attributes. This particular image was taken from a fragment of an ivory unguent box lid discovered in Ras Shamra in Syria and dates from around 1500 BCE. The workmanship is thought to be Minoan. Many other images of Astarte exist but none as delicately beautiful as this one. Astarte was considered to be an analogue to Goddesses like Inanna who had Quodeshtu Priestesses in service to Her. Her ancient dance is captured by the consummate art of Oberon Zell and turned into an exquisite pendant to grace the neck of a modern priestess, belly dancer or other devotee of the Goddess.
It measures 1-1/4 inches in diameter (not including the loop and bale) and is available in Nebula, the wonderful new hypoallergenic alloy, lightly hand painted with black to give contrast to the bright, non tarnishing metal revealing the exquisite detail of the design.
Please allow 7-10 days for shipping