Uruk Period
32mm high, 20mm wide, 15mm deep
3500-3000BC
Crystal?

To help ward off all the misfortunes in the world, ancient Mesopotamians created a wide variety of protective charms and images. Some of the most mysterious of these are the enigmatic cult objects from northern Mesopotamia known as eye idols, or spectacle idols. Their exact purpose is unknown, but they may have been used to protect the owner from the "evil eye" or to represent a particular deity. The abstract images come in a variety of sizes and materials. This example is exceptional in both its small size and its beautiful, translucent stone.

From a private collection