The Neo-Hittite civilisation, also known as Syro-Hittite, existed during the Iron Age in Southern Anatolia and the North Levant. The empire arose in the collapse of the preceding Hittite empire and lasted until the 8th century BC, when they were overrun by the Assyrians. The artistic trends of the Syro-Hittites borrowed much from the former Hittite Empire, but were also increasingly mixed with Aramaic, Assyrian and Syrian Bronze Age influences to create a highly distinctive style.
Terracotta was a favoured material for idols in the Near East. These pieces are fine examples of an iconic Syro-Hittite artistic tradition that represented gods, particularly female deities ensuring fertility, and worshippers in stylised figurines. Formed from bronze, stone or terracotta, these types of figurines usually have columnar and flat bodies with heads and torsos decorated with incisions. Due to the protruding nose, figurines such as this are characterised as having bird-like faces. They are usually of modest dimensions, and were placed in temples, graves and private homes as a means of gaining favour with certain deities.
