Goddess of Brassempouy
26,000–24,000 BCE
Mammoth ivory, 1.44″ high
Discovered in 1892 at Grotte du Pape, southwestern France

Also known as La Dame à la Capuche (“The Lady with the Hood”), the Brassempouy figurine is one of the earliest known depictions of a human face with realistic features.

Carved from mammoth ivory, the small, triangular face shows a strikingly intense gaze, prominent eyebrows, and notably lacks a mouth.

A deep vertical crack cuts across the right side of her face. The patterned headdress may represent braided hair, a wig, or a hood. Some scholars speculate that this could even be an early attempt at a portrait.