Goddess on the Throne

Goddess on the Throne
The Goddess on the Throne at the Kosovo Museum in Pristina
MaterialTerracotta
Height18.5 cm
Createdc. 5,100 BC
Discovered1956
Pristina, Kosovo
Present locationPristina, Kosovo

Goddess on the Throne (Albanian: Hyjnesha në fron; Serbian: Богиња на трону, romanized: Boginja na tronu) is a terracotta figurine found at the site of the Tjerrtorja spinning mill in Pristina, the capital city of Kosovo, in 1956. The seated terracotta figure is a well-preserved specimen of small Neolithic plastic Vinča culture (also known as Turdas culture in Kosovo). It measures 18.5 cm (7.3 in) high and is dated to 5700–4500 BC.[1]

The figurine represents a female deity, reflecting the cult of the great mother idol. It is preserved in the Kosovo Museum, 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 Prishtina.[2]

The figurine was discovered by experts from the National Museum of Serbia in 1956.[3] Goddess on the Throne was borrowed in late 1998 by the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts 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 figure was kept in Belgrade. In 2002, the-then president of the Coordination Center for Kosovo and Metohija Nebojša Čović returned the figurine to Pristina as "a sign of goodwill towards Kosovo Albanians".[3] This occurred after the insistence of then UN overseer Michael Steiner. There are presently 1,200 artifacts from Kosovo which remain in Serbia, despite appeals for their return by Kosovo.[4]

The figurine became a symbol of the culture of Kosovo Albanians.[3]

  1. ^ Goldsworthy, Adrian Keith; Haynes, Ian; Adams, Colin E. P. (1997). The Roman army as a community. Journal of Roman Archaeology. p. 100. ISBN 1887829342. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c Šulović, Sonja (2021-05-20). "Šta se zapravo desilo sa artefaktima koje Priština traži od Srbije?". Euronews.rs (in Serbian).
  4. ^ Isufi, Perparim; Dragojlo, Sasa (7 December 2022). "Heritage Heist: Kosovo, Serbia Fight over 'Loaned' Museum Exhibits". Balkan Insight.