Venus Figurines Essay

Venus figurines are found across the globe, in varying cultures, and throughout various time periods. These figurines have a great variety across the cultures they are present in including what materials they are made out of, their relative size, and the intricacy involved in the creation of the figurine. Despite these differences there are some major similarities: all Venus figurines are unclothed depictions of women with exaggerated features. There are many theories as to the meaning and reason behind the Venus figurines and whether they had a singular meaning and reason behind them or if these figurines had various purposes across the cultures.
The figurines depict stereotypically female figures, often with exaggerated features like large breasts and wide buttocks and hips or a distinguishable vulva. These figures are often very small ranging from two to six inches tall and are believed to be this size for easy transportation. They are mostly found within homes or places of living, and rarely they are found hidden in caves. The first time a figurine of this type was called a Venus figurine it was in reference to a statuette from France called the “Venus Impudique” or the shameless Venus, despite the fact that this status is believed to be of

an immature, young girl.
The idea that these figurines were made by men for men has several flaws based on assumptions that we hold about people in the past. These include the idea that men are the only ones capable of being aroused by visual stimuli because there are not the same amount of male figurines in the archaeological record and for those that are, similar interpretations of them being sexual objects are not made. As well, the idea that these are sexual objects rely on biased ideas of what is arousing and erotic. We have no certainty that large breasts or buttocks were arousing to members of their society as there are modern cultures who view breasts as utilitarian and viewing them is not erotic in the slightest. As well, whether being unclothed, which a majority of the figures are, is seen as being inherently erotic or not by the people of the past is brought into question. Desirous parts are often hidden, if anything hinted at, not so drastically displayed as with these figurines. Additionally, these assumptions are based on a binary system of gender and a flat understanding of sexuality that may not have existed in the past. There is no guarantee that the people who constructed these figurines did not have a third gender who could have had the task of forming this figurines. Or these figurines were formed by women purely as sexual objects, rather than men.
One theory for the reason behind these statuettes is that Venus figurines were an early form of pornography or objects of desire. This theory comes to the forefront due to the incredible emphasis around the parts of the female anatomy that are seen as the most desirous. Not only are these areas erotic but the Venus’s larger size can been seen as an easy example of prosperity that could have been observed in a society lacking resources, resulting in most members of the society being very thin. For those who had money and resources, they would be heaving and would more like the Venus of Willendorf, which would make a woman more desirous to a male, because he would then be allowed access to those resources through marriage. Evidence for this is that the Venus of Willendorf, one of the more famous figurines, has lots of wear and tear, exhibiting the fact that the statue was handled often and by many people. The view is that this would not have occurred if the Venus was an idol or other object of spiritual icon.
An issue that many hold with this theory is the fact that there would have been a distinct lack of larger or obese women in the past. How would any person become so large on a sparse Paleolithic diet? This size and obsessions with it can be seen as more reasonable in later societies where groups are able to accumulate resources and wealth at a seat of power. This view of larger as lovelier is then demonstrated in the artwork of the time. This is hardly the same situation with Paleolithic people who are just concentrating on surviving, not on getting so large as to impress others.
Another explanation for the figurines is that it is depicting African individuals who show signs steatopygia or excessive fat on the buttocks that is not explained by the weight of the individual.

A famous example of this is Sarah Baartman who was called the Hottentot Venus, a moniker that is a throwback to these Venus figurines. Many have interpreted the Venus of Willendorf, among other Venus figures, as being women with steatopygia and this may have been accurate but it seems ridiculous to assume that this could explain every one of these figurines. Venus figurines occur across a large geographic area, many of which include people who would never have seen an African women, let alone one who suffered from

steatopygia.
There is another prevailing theory, that personally seems to be the most logical, explaining the Venus figurines is that the figurines are depicting pregnant women either carved by others or by pregnant women themselves, using their own bodies as reference. What they can see when looking down is a distorted image of their figure, making some features larger than they are which results in the exaggerated features of the figurines. When considering the Venus figurines as having been carved by those who were not pregnant, these figures could have served in fertility rituals aimed at aiding women in getting pregnant or as general fertility icons aimed at assisting a bountiful harvest and healthy animals. If we consider the idea that these icons were carved by pregnant women, there is the possibility that these icons served as talismans to ensure a mother and her child’s safety throughout the process childbirth, as this was a leading cause of death in young women.
This theory hold significant credence as the proportions of these figures often match the proportions that a woman would have at her disposal for reference when looking down at herself, pregnant or not. Their point of view looking down at themselves would have distorted their view and would explain the unusual largeness of some areas of these figurines. The idea that these figures could have been talisman also makes a large amount of sense as these figures are very small. Some would say small enough to carry around on your person as a good luck charm or a ward from danger. This would also explain the wear and tear evident on some figurines as these women used their figurines or talismans as a worry stone, rubbing at it when they needed some measure of comfort.