Ancient Greece, Tanagra, Hellenistic Period, ca. 3rd century BCE. A hollow, mold-formed terracotta depiction of a mysterious female figure, perhaps a goddess, standing with her left leg extended beneath a floor-length himation. Her elegant feminine form is shrouded with a flowing cloak of which she holds the trails with both hands and wraps around most of her head, exposing only her petite nose, one smooth cheek, and both sensitive eyes. Her haunting stare evokes a sense of melancholy which pierces the veil of time and engages the viewer to ponder the magnitude of tragedy this woman had to endure. Pale orange slip covers the exterior of the figure, and scattered traces of white and pink pigment show how vividly this figure was painted in the past. Size: 2.5" W x 8.1" H (6.4 cm x 20.6 cm).
During the Hellenistic Period, Greeks had access knowledge about the past through institutions like the Library of Alexandria, creating a sense of history and connection to the Greeks who had come before them. Prominent Hellenistic art collectors commissioned pieces based on public statues from the earlier Classical Period, and smaller, more available art forms like this sculpture echoed the naturalistic, detailed classical style. 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 graves 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, acquired in the 1980s
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#143526
Condition
Professionally repaired from multiple large pieces with resurfacing and overpainting along break lines. Minor nicks and abrasions to body, base, and head, with fading to original pigmentation, and light encrustations within some recessed areas. Light earthen deposits and great traces of original pigmentation throughout.