bactrian idol staff

A large Bactrian marble staf circa late 3th to 2nd millenium BCE. The Bactrian culture was discovered by Soviet archeologists in the 1970s in Afghanistan. Also called the Oxus culture it was dated between 2300-1700 BCE. This civilisation prospered in the valleys and plains of central Asia during the Bronze age and is regarded as being one of the most evolved societies of their time. A lot is still to discover about these people and their artefacts. Scollars are still debating the function of marble idols found in the Bactria-Margiana complex. Alltough some think they are weights to measure grain (the most important commodity in that time and a measure of wealth) most believe they are abstract representations of spiritual concepts like earth, heaven, female, male, etc. This item in beautiful dense green stone has some scratching, weathering (pitting) and worn on the surface. There is one old chip on the top and one on the bottom. No visible Restauration present and also no cracks. Staffs like this one are very rare and especially in this size. The use of these objects reamin a mystery. Most likely it originally was larger and held a object of worship on the top which was presented as a staff or sceptre in religious ceremonies. This piece was bought on the Brussels art market in 2019 and previously belonged to a private Belgian collector. A certificate is included.