Greece, Tanagra, Boeotia, ca. 4th century BCE. A beautiful ceramic Tanagra figure depicting a standing woman draped in a heavy himation over a chiton that wraps sensuously around her slender body and falls to the floor, covering all but the tips of her feet. The chiton has a crinkled texture at the bottom of the skirt and a stiff neckline reminiscent of a kimono. The neckline is incredibly well done on this figure, very thin and sculpted so that the outlines of the body can be seen inside of it. The woman's head is covered by a veil over a crescent-shaped circlet, but some of her long, curly hair can be seen at the sides. Her face is turned slightly, gazing off into the distance, past the viewer. One hand holds an apple outstretched at the waist, while the other is raised in front of her chest, her fingers pinched together naturalistically. Size: 4.05" W x 12.3" H (10.3 cm x 31.2 cm)
Inspired by historical knowledge like that collected at the Library of Alexandria, prominent Hellenistic art collectors commissioned large pieces based on public statues from the earlier Classical Period. More available art forms like this one echoed the naturalistic, detailed classical style that reached a pinnacle in small statuary during the Hellenistic period. Artisans looked to inspiration not only from the past but also from what they observed around them - usually women. Terracotta figures like this one have been found in private dwellings where they may have been part of a shrine or had a religious purpose. Others decorate tombs and sanctuaries - in Tanagra, the site that this style of figure is named for, some of the over 10,000 graves found there have up to a dozen of these statuettes. Perhaps they represented mourners, dressed in finery to attend a funeral.
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Mazard family collection, France, collected in the 1980s
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#143538
Condition
Repaired and restored from multiple pieces, with light overpainting along restored areas, notably at waist and the arm holding the apple. Deposits on surface with much white pigment remaining.