Mater Matuta 5th-1st C. BCE

"In 1873 and until 1887, research was carried out with archaeological purposes, obtaining abundant material from them and especially a considerable number of tuff statues reproducing almost all a woman sitting with one or more children in her arms, giving the exact proof that there had been a temple in the place. This thesis was supported by the fact that among the earlier sculptures only one differed from the others by its strong ieratic imprint: instead of holding babies in her arms she had in her right hand a polograna and in the left a dove, symbols of fertility and peace, so that alone was to represent the Goddess of protection of the temple dedicated to motherhood. The Goddess was the "Mater Matuta", ancient Italic deity of aurora and birth, and the "mothers" represented "ex' vote"; a propitiatory offer and the expression of a thank you for the granting of the highest good of fertility. In 1930 Amedeo Maiuri drew the attention of scholars to these monuments by writing of them in "Aspects and Problems of Bell Archaeology". From that time the interest became alive and they had fervent research on the character and value of Italian art exemplary in the sculptures of Capua, which reveal both vigour of expression and effectiveness of lively realism giving this popular art a taste of unscrupulous outspokenness and a content of intense humanity. The "mothers" of the Museum of Capua form a unique complex and a rare document in Campania of pre-imperial sculpture and give the idea of the unity of flowering art on the soil of ancient Italy with a character of strong realism, with a constant tendency to express more the character, content and destination of the work than to privilege its formal stylistic aspects. In fact, they are the most eloquent testimony of the cult with which the ancient Bells honored the mystery of life considering motherhood as a divine gift and enveloping with poetic spirituality the event of birth considering it sacred, as everything that vital comes out of the bosom of nature. Chronologically, they are located in a period of time ranging from the 6th to the 2nd century BC. However, the 6th century BC cannot be considered the beginning period since some specimens possessed are attributable to earlier eras, comparing their archaicness to that of prehistoric monuments, such as to be defined as the most naive products of sculpture of all times and of all places."

-taken from provincia.caserta link below (translated by google translate)

August 1999. Capua, Campano museum, votive statue of "Mother" - sanctuary dedicated to the Italic Goddess of fertility Matuta between the 5th and 1st century BCE.

Source:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jacqueline_poggi/19232154433/in/photostream/

 

Quote:

http://www.provincia.caserta.it/museocampano/articoli.asp?catID=16&scatID=6