Harvard Art Museums

Female Protome

Date

c. 500-475 BCE

Medium

Terracotta, mold made

Culture

Greek

Department

Department of Ancient and Byzantine Art & Numismatics

Institution

Harvard Art Museums

Intact. Granular orange-brown terracotta. Much of the front and back surface is covered with a think dark brown coating. The hair is arranged in horizontal strands with individually molded locks that curves down the sides of the head behind the ears and diverges into three separate locks or curls on either side of the breast. There is a raised ridge above hairdo that extends around the head from ear to ear. A concave band or Taenia rises above it. The backside is smooth but concave behind. There is a slight suggestion of breasts at lower margin between the interlocks of hair. The projection of the Taenia-like diadem could suggest the figure represents Hera.

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