Large Boeotian Terracotta Standing Woman

£ 675.00

A large, hollow-made terracotta statue, presumably from the Boeotian region. A woman is depicted standing on a high base: her hands are clasped close to her body, and she wears a peplos and low polos. A long, heavy skirt conceals much of her silhouette; she has a belt around her peplos, and the top is draped. Her hair and facial features are highly stylised and enlarged.

Date: Circa 5th Century BC
Provenance: Ex Heinz Muller, Westphalian German collection, 1960's.
Condition: Very fine condition; encrustations on surface.

SOLD

The peplos was a rich outer robe or shawl worn by women in ancient Greece, which draped over the body in loose folds. In addition, the figure boasts the polos on her head: a high, cylindrical crown often worn by goddesses in the ancient Near East and Anatolia. It was subsequently adopted by the Greeks and often used as an iconographical attribute for the goddesses, Cybele and Hera.

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.

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 241.00000000 g
Dimensions W 4 x H 18 cm
Country

Culture

Region

Pottery and Porcelain