Highlight - 3

“The Xagħra Twin Seated Figure”
Stone, Red Ochre. H. 12.5, W. 11.0, D. 9.0 cm
Xagħra Circle (Gozo), 3600–2500 bce
Heritage Malta–Gozo Museum of Archaeology: 32189
Courtesy of Heritage Malta, photography © Daniel Cilia

This masterpiece of prehistoric art is carved fully in the round, including its underside. Two ambiguously sexed corpulent figures are seated side by side atop a couch, their fleshy bodies pressed into one another. The figure on the right holds a cup in its lap, while that on the left holds a representation of a miniature seated figure. Although similar, the skirts of each figure are differentiated in detail, seen most clearly on the back. Traces of red ochre are preserved on the feet and in the spirals on top of the couch, as is black pigment in the hair and skirts. We can only speculate as to the meaning of the figures and the objects they hold.