Greek Tanagra Terracotta Head of Aphrodite

CIRCA 4TH-2ND CENTURY B.C.

2 1/2 in. (38 grams total, 64 mm including stand).

With hair divided in vertical arrangements, bound on the back by a fillet, delicate rendering of mouth, nose and eyes; mounted on a custom-made display stand.

Provenance

Ex P. A., Hertfordshire, UK, specialist collection of Greek art, 1980-1990s.

Literature

Cf. Mavrogonatou, A., Terracotta figurines as grave offerings in Veoria: the funerary dimension of Aphrodite and Eros in female and child burials of the Hellenic rock-cut chamber tombs, Thessaloniki, 2018, fig.47, for a similar head on a statuette in terracotta of Aphrodite.

Footnotes

It seems that half-draped women in sculpture, whatever the pose, are quite rare before the late Hellenistic period; however, they appear as early as the 4th century B.C., on a small scale and in terracotta. North Macedonian terracotta figurines of Aphrodite or mortal girls replicate sculptural trends of the 2nd century B.C. In particular, the the classical sculptural tradition was revived during the latter half of the second century B.C., as evidenced by the figurines.

CONDITION

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LOT 0510