Cleveland Museum of Art

Dancing Eros

Date

300–200 BCE

Medium

terracotta

Culture

Anatolia, Myrina, Greece

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The region of Myrina in Asia Minor (now part of modern Turkey) is known for its abundance of ancient terracotta figurines. Eros, the Greek god of love, was especially popular. Here he is depicted as a nude youth, not a small child. Eros’ extra-long legs and arms, though only partially preserved, are thrown about in a carefree dance. He wears a celebratory floral crown atop his long curls. Once probably fully painted, only traces of red pigment survive on the face. A figurine like this one may have been a votive or offering of thanks to Eros or Aphrodite, his mother, also a goddess of love, for a successful marriage. Figurines of Eros are often paired with figurines of his mythological wife, Psyche.

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