Goddess on the Throne ( sr, Богиња на трону, Boginja na tronu, ), is a

terracotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based ceramic glaze, unglazed or glazed ceramic where the pottery firing, fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, a ...

figurine found at the site of the Tjerrtorja spinning mill in

Pristina Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...

, the capital city of

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

, in 1956. The seated terracotta figure is a well-preserved specimen of small

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...

plastic

Vinča culture The Vinča culture (), also known as Turdaș culture or Turdaș–Vinča culture, is a Neolithic archaeological culture of Southeast Europe, dated to the period 5700–4500 BC or 5300–4700/4500 BC.. Named for its type site, Vinča-Belo Brdo ...

(also known as Turdas culture in Kosovo). It measures 18.5 cm high and is dated to 5700–4500 BC. The figurine represents a female deity, reflecting the cult of the great mother idol. It is preserved in the

Kosovo Museum Kosovo Museum ( sq, Muzeu i Kosovës, sr, Музеј Косова / ''Muzej Kosova'') is the National Museum of Kosovo, located in the city of Pristina. Founded in 1949 by Yugoslav authorities, it is the largest museum in Kosovo, located in an Au ...

, which has adopted the idol as its logo. One of the most precious archaeological artifacts of Kosovo, it has also been adopted as the symbol of the city of Pristina.Berisha, Milot (2012) Archaeological Guide of Kosovo.- Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Archaeological Institute of Kosovo, Prishtina, p.42
Last accessed 27 May 2016
' The figurine was discovered by experts from the

National Museum of Serbia The National Museum of Serbia ( sr, / ) is the largest and oldest museum in Belgrade, Serbia. It is located in the central zone of Belgrade on a square plot between the Republic Square, formerly Theatre Square, and three streets: Čika Ljubina ...

in 1956. ''Goddess on the Throne'' was borrowed in late 1998 by the

Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts The Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts ( la, Academia Scientiarum et Artium Serbica, sr-Cyr, Српска академија наука и уметности, САНУ, Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, SANU) is a national academy and the ...

Gallery for their exhibition titled ''Arheološko blago Kosova i Metohije - od neolita do ranog Srednjeg veka'' (''Archeological Treasure of Kosovo and Metohija - from the Neolithic Period to Middle Ages''). Following the

Kosovo War The Kosovo War was an armed conflict in Kosovo that started 28 February 1998 and lasted until 11 June 1999. It was fought by the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the war ...

the figure was kept in Belgrade. In 2002, the-then President of the Coordination Center for Kosovo and Metohija

Nebojša Čović Nebojša Čović ( sr-Cyrl, Небојша Човић; 2 July 1958) is a Serbian businessman, basketball executive, and politician. Since 2011, he has been serving as the president of Crvena zvezda mts Belgrade. Early years and education Čovi ...

returned the figurine to Priština as "a sign of good will towards Kosovo Albanians". The figurine became a symbol of the culture of Kosovo Albanians.

Gallery

File:Goddess on throne.JPG, File:Hyjnesha ne fron-Koka.JPG, File:HYJNESHA NE FRON PHOTO ARBEN LLAPASHTICA.jpg, File:Hyjnesha muze.jpg, File:Flag of Pristina.png, File:Stema e Komunës Prishtinë.svg,

Annotations

References

6th-millennium BC works 5th-millennium BC works 1956 archaeological discoveries Vinča culture Terracotta sculptures Figurines Sculptures of goddesses

External links

The Goddess on the Throne
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818164211/http://www.ancientcraft.co.uk/reenactment/pa_venus_vinca1.html , date=2017-08-18
'Tjerrtorja' Archeological Site (listed since 1955)