Greek Terracotta Mother and Child Figurine

$423.34

A fine  charming pale pink terracotta figurine of a standing woman holding a child. The woman is clad in a himation and holding a child in the crook of her left arm. Details such as the folds of the clothing, hair and faces have been incised. Paint would have been used to further embellish each figurine, but has mostly faded away due to the passing of time. The figure stands on a square base. The reverse of each figure is plain and unmodelled.

Date: Circa 3rd-4th Century BC
Condition: Complete and intact with traces of the original pink and white slip; features quite worn.

SOLD

Terracotta figurines are the most common sculpture type in Greek art. Often fairly crude in their rendering, they were clearly designed for use across all social strata, and provide insight into the everyday lives of Greeks. As a result of their low cost, they were often used for votive purposes – perhaps the ‘mother and child’ type demonstrated here ties into offerings made in exchange for fertility and health.

To find out more about votive offerings in Classical Times please see our relevant blog post: Ancient Greek Votive Offerings in Antiquity: Gifts to the Gods.

Weight 105 g
Dimensions H 11.2 cm
Culture

Pottery and Porcelain

Region

Reference: For a similar item, see The British Museum, item number 1884,1210.247

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