Cleveland Museum of Art

Female Figurine

Date

330–200 BCE

Medium

molded terracotta, painted

Culture

Greece, Tanagra (Boeotia)

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This figurine depicts an elegantly draped young woman wearing a cloak or himation over a dress called a chiton. The contrast between her sharp elbow and flowing skirts illustrates an interest in the stretch and fold of different fabrics. Originally brilliantly painted, this figurine still has traces of color such as the red hair and the white on her face. The site of Tanagra in central Greece is known for its abundance of terracotta figurines like this one made by mixing and matching different molds. This woman’s rolled hairstyle is now called a “melon coiffure.”

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.