The Venus of Laussel is an 18.11-inch-high (46.0-centimetre) limestone bas-relief of a nude woman. It is painted with red ochre and was carved into the limestone of a rock shelter (Abri de Laussel) in the commune of Marquay, in the Dordogne department of south-western France. The carving is associated with the Gravettian Upper Paleolithic culture (approximately 25,000 years old). It is currently displayed in the Musée d'AquitaineinBordeaux, France.
The figure holds a bison horn, or possibly a cornucopia, in one hand, which has thirteen notches. She has large breasts and vulva. There is a "Y" on her thigh and her faceless head is turned toward the horn.
The figure was discovered in 1911 by Jean-Gaston Lalanne, a physician. It was carved into large block of limestone in a rock shelter (abri de Laussel) at the commune of Marquay in the Dordogne department of south-western France. The limestone block fell off the wall of the shelter. It was brought to the Musée d'AquitaineinBordeaux, France.
Eisler, Riane (1995), Sacred Pleasure: Sex, Myth, and the Politics of the Body, HarperCollins Publishers Inc., NY.
Marshack, Alexander (1971), The Roots of Civilization, Moyer Bell Ltd, Mount Kisco, NY.
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| Acheulean (disputed) |
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| Aurignacian |
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| Gravettian |
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| Magdalenian |
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| Related |
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