Babylon

“BABYLON” 
​Walrus tusk, carving, height 34 cm, 2012.
​This sculpture is an immersion into the mystical atmosphere of Ancient Babylon, a city where the earthly and the divine were intertwined in a single cult. The curved form of the walrus tusk provides the perfect foundation for conveying a dynamic and sensual image, inspired by the figures of the priestesses of the goddess Ishtar (Inanna) — the patroness of love, fertility, and war.
​In Mesopotamia, these women, known as shamhatu (temple prostitutes), held a special place. Their service was not seen as a sin, but rather as a sacred rite, symbolizing the fertility of the land and the eternal renewal of life. The heroines carved into this tusk are not merely women; they are the embodiment of raw, natural power, the conduits of the Great Goddess’s will, whose influence spanned from the heavens to the underworld. Their stirring, curved figures encapsulate all the allure and mystery of the ancient civilization.

Russia, a private collection.