A substantial Boeotian statuette of a nude young man in terracotta. The figure is shown standing on a pedestal, wearing a long drape upon his shoulders. The face, hair, and anatomical details are finely crafted. The original pink pigment is still conspicuous on the figure’s body and face, while traces of the original yellow and blue pigmentation are visible on the long drape.
Date: Circa 5th – 4th Century BC Condition: Very fine condition, complete and intact. Mounted on a wood display stand
Boeotia was a key area in the Greek world. The Boeotian Confederacy, controlled by Thebes, defeated their former ally of Sparta to become the main Greek power in the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC. In its intended form, all Greek sculptural production was vividly polychromatic, though few examples of statues survive in their original condition with polychromy intact. This figurine, therefore, provided an impressive and rare insight into how statuettes of this type would have appeared in ancient Greece. This is a popular form copied from an earlier Attic type.
To find out more about polychromy in ancient art, please refer to our relevant article: Polychromy in Ancient Greece.
Reference: Compare with item 852; Catalogue of the terracottas in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum, by R. A. Higgins.
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