Mesopotamian Eye Idol Miniature Statue Figurine from Syria 2.5H

Eyes That Never Close: The Mesopotamian Eye Idol Statue

This Mesopotamian eye idol statue gives a flat little body huge, watchful eyes. It measures 2.5 in H x 2.5 in W x 1.75 in D in resin with a stone finish.

The original dates to about 3000 BC and comes from Tell Brak in northeastern Syria. A black metal stand holds the replica upright.

Product Details

• Material: Resin with a stone finish
• Stand: Black metal
• Dimensions: 2.5 in H x 2.5 in W x 1.75 in D
• Weight: 0.2 lbs
• Collection: Parastone Museum Collection of museum replicas
• Original: Eye idol, Tell Brak, Mesopotamia, about 3000 BC
• Product number: MES01

The Eye Temple

In 1937, English archaeologists found a remarkable temple at Tell Brak. Its plasterwork held hundreds of alabaster idols.

All had angular, flat bodies and small heads with oversized eyes. The temple was nicknamed the Eye Temple, and the Tell Brak eye idol type got its name.

One Family, or One Gaze?

This idol shows two pairs of larger eyes on a simplified body, with three small pairs below. It may suggest a family, but no one knows.

In many cultures the eye symbolizes knowledge and wards off evil. Some scholars think the idols were offerings left in the presence of the gods.

Tell Brak controlled a main trade route through the Tigris Valley. See more in our Parastone Museum Replicas and Museum Statues Collection.

Display and Care

At 0.2 lbs, the Mesopotamian eye idol statue fits a desk or curio shelf. This ancient eye idol figurine needs only a soft dry brush.

Tell Brak in Brief

In the fourth and third millennia BC, Tell Brak was among the most important towns of northern Mesopotamia. The Eye Temple Syria replica recalls that busy crossroads.

For More Reading from the Web

• Learn why the eyes were so large, and what Tell Brak's idols meant to worshippers. Mesmerizing Eyes - National Museum of Denmark
• See an eye idol from Tell Brak in the British Museum. Eye Idol from Tell Brak - The British Museum