Lot 11B
Greece, Hellenistic period, ca. 3rd century BCE. A mold-made terracotta figure depicting an elegant female, perhaps a goddess, wearing a long chiton with a himation wrapped tightly around her body, holding a fan-like attribute in her right hand. Her visage sensitively modeled with delicate features framed by her pulled back coiffure which is also impressed with a wavy design to resemble plaiting. Remains of white pigment are visible on much of the figure. A stunning example. Size: 9.25" H (23.5 cm); 11.25" H (28.6 cm) on included Lucite block stand.
During the Hellenistic Period, Greeks had access to 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.
This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full report will accompany purchase.
Provenance: ex-private Los Angeles, California, USA collection acquired before 1990
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#127042
- Condition: Tiny hole for TL testing at hemline. Head reattached. Body repaired from two or three large pieces. Base repaired and reattached with losses to one corner as shown. Normal surface wear commensurate with age. Nice remains of white pigment and mineral deposits.
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