This is a fragment from a weighted spear thrower made from a reindeer antler. Using the broader, flatter palmate area at the top of the antler shaft, the artist has carved a pair of ibex. They are shown face to face on their hind legs, the front legs of one resting on the shoulders of the other as the horned heads, now missing, clash together. The bodies of the animals are shaded with fine incisions emphasising their anatomy.

Les Trois Frères Cave, Ariège, France.

The most widely-spread and best-known Palaeolithic culture, which started around 17,000 years ago and ended around 11,000 years ago. Its name derives from the La Madeleine site in Dordogne, France. Some of the high points in cave art in all its forms - sculpture, black drawings, polychrome painting, modelling and engraving - are to be found in this period.

Source: Dr Jean Clottes

→ Ice Age Art Index
→ Ice Age Art Gallery
→ Bison of Tuc D'Audoubert