VOTIVE STATUETTE OF A BELIER Silver H. 5.8 cm Anatolia, Hittite period, early 2nd millennium BC Provenance Estate of Mr Loneux, antique dealer in Lièges (ceased trading in the 1990s), Belgium French private collection, acquired on the Belgian art market The animal is standing, with a vigorous stylised treatment and particular attention to anatomical detail. The animal is depicted in a static, frontal posture, standing firmly on its four slightly spread legs, giving the whole a monumental presence despite the small size of the object. This statuette is most likely an ex-voto, a precious object placed in a temple or domestic sanctuary as an offering to a deity. The use of silver, a precious metal, underlines the importance of the offering and the high social status of the patron. This piece testifies to the sophistication of Anatolian metalwork at the beginning of the 2nd millennium and the richness of the religious life of the Hittite and proto-Hittite populations. It illustrates the continuity of Near Eastern animal iconographic traditions, while at the same time displaying stylistic characteristics that are uniquely Anatolian. An Anatolian Hittite Silver Votive Statuette of a Ram. Early 2nd Millennium BCE. The animal stands in vigorous stylized treatment with particular attention to anatomical details. The animal is depicted in a static frontal posture, firmly planted on its four slightly apart legs, conferring monumental presence on the ensemble despite the object's small size. This statuette very probably constitutes an ex-voto, a precious object deposited in a temple or domestic sanctuary as an offering to a deity. The use of silver, a precious metal, underscores the offering's importance and the patron's high social status. This piece testifies to the sophistication of Anatolian metallurgical craftsmanship in the early 2nd millennium and the richness of Hittite and proto-Hittite populations' religious life. It illustrates the continuity of Near Eastern animal iconographic traditions while presenting properly Anatolian stylistic characteristics.