Male figure: Phoenician culture, 5th–3rd centuries B.C.

Male figure: Phoenician culture, 5th–3rd centuries B.C.
Terracotta.
The surface has earthy deposits.
Provenance: Private collection of C. P. (Barcelona).
Piece is intact.
Measurements: 10.5 x 3.5 cm; 0.5 x 3.5 cm (base).
Provenance: Family legacy of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Archaeological collection formed from the 1950s by successive generations of the family, through acquisitions in European galleries and auction houses.

A sculpture in the round made of terracotta. The sculpture takes on an anthropomorphic form, and due to the absence of feminine features such as breasts, it can be inferred that this is a male figurine. These types of small idols were very common as objects used largely for ritual purposes.
The Phoenicians were a major naval power in antiquity, thanks to their sturdy, large vessels made of durable wood. These same vessels enabled them to engage in trade of great importance both to themselves and to many other cultures, allowing them to acquire techniques and materials from regions outside their own through these exchanges.