Mobiliary Art

A general term used to describe the small and portable objects produced by artists during the Upper Palaeolithic period. These included carved or engraved stone, bone, ivory, or antler, and small crudely fired clay models. Artifacts include figurines, artists' trial pieces, decorated weapons, tools, and ornaments. The distribution extends from Siberia to Spain. Cave art covers the paintings, engravings, and reliefs found on the walls of caves and rock shelters of the same period. Unlike wall art, which is difficult to date, mobiliary art is usually found in archaeological layers and can therefore be dated. The earliest pieces probably date to about 35,000 years ago and they continued being made throughout the Upper Palaeolithic to c 10,000 BC.

[French: art mobilier]. Term used to cover all the portable decorated objects produced in the Upper Palaeolithic of Europe, as opposed to cave art, which covers the paintings, engravings and reliefs found on the walls of caves and rock shelters of the same period. Typical mobiliary art is in the form of decorated utilitarian objects, like spear-throwers and harpoons or sometimes statuettes (see venus figurines) and engraved plaques. In the case of pieces of limestone with painting or engraving, it is often difficult to know if they were once wall art which has since flaked off. Unlike wall art, which is difficult to date, mobiliary art is usually found in archaeological layers and can therefore be dated. The earliest pieces probably date to about 35,000 years ago and they continued being made throughout the Upper Palaeolithic to cl0,000 be.