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This venus is another notable prehistoric figurine, but it’s distinct from the Venus of Willendorf and the Venus of Vestonice. The venus of Brassempouy is a small figurine carved from ivory. It is also dated to the upper paleolithic period, making it one of the oldest known representations of a human face. It was discovered in 1894. In a cave at Brassempouy, France.

Believed to be around 25,000 years old. The representation is of a human head rather than a full-body figure
The figurine consists of a small piece of mammoth ivory, carved into a portrait-like depiction of a woman’s face.

The face is characterized by a high forehead, a rounded nose, and hollowed-out eye sockets
Interestingly, it lacks a mouth and hair. The purpose and significance of this artifact remain a subject of speculation, but it is considered one of the earliest known examples of representational art depicting a human face.

Two caves near the village, were among the first paleolithic sites to be explored in France. Known as ‘gallery of the hyenas’; and the ‘grotto of the pope’. It was discovered it the pope grotto, accompanied by at least 8 other carvings.

The head is 3.65cm high, 2.2cm deep and 1.9cm wide
Its nose and brows are carved but mouth is absent. Because of the mammoth ivory. There is a vertical crack on the right side of face. On the head is a check board like pattern formed by two series of shallow incisions. It could represent a hair cover, piece or wig.

Scholars agree that this venus belonged to gravettian culture

Did you know? It has been featured on a couple stamps. Including 2 franc (76′); and, 15, in the Republic of Mali.

The Venus of Brassempouy is now housed in at Musée d’Archéologie Nationale at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris. It provides valuable insights into the artistic and symbolic expression of paleolithic people during that era.

Bibliography: H. Delporte, Brassempouy – la grotte du Pape, station préhistorique, Association culturelle de Contis, 1980

Randall White (December 2006). “The Women of Brassempouy: A Century of Research and Interpretation” (http://blogimages.bloggen.be/evodisku/attach/166144.pdf) (PDF). Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory. 13 (4): 251–304. doi:10.1007/s10816-006-9023-z (https://doi.org/10