Cleveland Museum of Art

Votive Plaque (Pinax) with Persephone Making her Bridal Bed

Date

c. 490–450 BCE

Medium

Terracotta

Culture

West Greek/South Italian, Classical

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Probably once brightly painted, this relief plaque belongs to a series of votive dedications made in Locri Epizephirii, near the “toe” of Italy, to the goddess Persephone (or Kore), daughter of Demeter. Following her abduction by Hades, god of the Underworld, Persephone regularly returned to earth, dictating the seasons and making agriculture possible. Often, as here, the plaques show domestic scenes. The rooster often appears with Persephone on such plaques, perhaps because both mark transitions.

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