Male votive offering; Iberian art; 4th century B.C.

Male votive offering; Iberian art; 4th century B.C.
Bronze.
Provenance: Private Spanish collection.
Measurements: 5 cm; 1.5 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm (base).
Iberian bronze votive offering in the style of round sculpture, depicting a human figure in a schematic style, with a flat, simple body and a prominent head, rendered in greater detail.The Iberians settled in the eastern and southern parts of the Iberian Peninsula, maintaining a culture and customs very different from those of the inland peoples. Given the vastness of their territory, which extended as far as southern France, this people was influenced by various cultures, most notably the Phoenicians at first and, later, the Greeks. Iberian society was highly hierarchical, with the warrior and noble class at the top. The priestly class rivaled it in power, and artisans were also held in high regard.