Fertility Idol AM 1176 Sully Levant room A showcase 1 This statuette of a naked, seated woman squeezing her breasts is evidence of ancient fertility worship. Classical tradition identifies the island of Cyprus as the birthplace of Aphrodite/Venus. The power of female fertility had been venerated there for thousands of years, associated with the forces of virility embodied in images of bulls. However, this primordial couple is not exclusive to Cyprus and was already found to be present in Babylon.
