---
title: The Venus of Laussel
author: 120
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/6866/the-venus-of-laussel/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)
updated: 1970-01-01
---

# The Venus of Laussel

_Authored by 120_

## Image File

[![The Venus of Laussel](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/6866.jpg)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/6866.jpg)

## Image Caption

The [Venus](https://www.worldhistory.org/venus/) of Laussel, carved between 20,000 and 18,000 years ago, is a rare example of a pre-historic bas-relief. Her faceless, voluptuous figure is characteristic of the Venus figurines produced throughout [Ice Age](https://www.worldhistory.org/Ice_Age/) [Europe](https://www.worldhistory.org/europe/). Many scholars believe that these female figures were used in fertility rituals or as representations of goddesses of fertility. In the case of the Venus of Laussel, they believe the thirteen lines carved into the upturned horn that she is holding may be associated with lunar and menstrual cycles. Her other hand rests upon her belly, over her womb, and her image was once tinted with red ochre, two other aspects of this piece that suggest fertility symbolism. The Venus of Laussel is now part of the collection of the Bordeaux Museum in France.

## Cite This Work

### APA
120. (2017, July 07). The Venus of Laussel. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/6866/the-venus-of-laussel/>
### Chicago
120. "The Venus of Laussel." *World History Encyclopedia*, July 07, 2017. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/6866/the-venus-of-laussel/>.
### MLA
120. "The Venus of Laussel." *World History Encyclopedia*, 07 Jul 2017, <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/6866/the-venus-of-laussel/>.

## License & Copyright

[Original image](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Venus-de-Laussel-vue-generale-noir.jpg) by [**120**](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Venus-de-Laussel-vue-generale-noir.jpg). Submitted by [Jessica Liew](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/jessicamliew/ "User Page: Jessica Liew"), published on 07 July 2017. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0deed.en). This license lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.