Byzantine Empire Bone Doll

Ancient Near East, Byzantine Empire, ca. 6th to 9th century CE. A fascinating doll carved from the bone of an ungulate to present a minimalist, abstract form with delineated legs and incised features. The sizable head presents almond-shaped eyes, a triangular nose, and straight lips, all beneath a wavy coiffure and a pair of large, drilled ears that may have once served as suspension loops