Greek Tanagra Terracotta Standing Goddess- Lot 26, Auction 1/29/2018
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Greek Tanagra Terracotta Standing Goddess- Lot 26, Auction 1/29/2018

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Greece, Hellenistic period, ca. 3rd century BCE. A mold-made terracotta figure of a standing woman of fashion. She wears a long chiton, and has her himation wrapped tightly around her body, covering her hands. Her hair is arranged in a wide chignon at the nape of her neck. The remains of white pigment are visible on much of the figure. Size: 2.2″ L x 1.5″ W x 5.75″ H (5.6 cm x 3.8 cm x 14.6 cm)

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.

Condition: Old (19th century) restoration. Nice remaining details.

Provenance: Whisnant Gallery, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, acquired over twenty years ago

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