Boeotian female figure
Price: on request
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Object number
AR2201
| Object: |
Boeotian female figure
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| Material: |
Terracotta painted in red and brown.
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| Period: |
6th cent. BC. Archaic period of ancient Greece. |
| Description: |
Anthropomorphic clay figure. Highly stylized body, which merges with the legs and forms almost a rectangle in frontal view, flat in side view. The feet are indicated by a widened base and are visually separated by a brown line. A red double line with a brown zigzag in between probably represents a garment decoration. A necklace with pendants is painted around the neck. At the shoulders the body merges into short, horizontal arm stumps. The head sits on a disproportionately long neck and is reminiscent of a bird's head, with sculpted hair next to the neck (one side missing). The base of a rising volute is visible on the head. The figure represents a female deity, possibly a deity who stood for fertility and beauty. The artifact is a rare example of the religion of ancient Greek Boeotia. |
| Background: |
This idol is a specialty of Boeotia in the 6th century BC. They are sometimes referred to as "Pappades", referring to the headdress. The rectangular body with geometric painting and the decorated head are characteristic. Finds are primarily known from Boeotian graves. Due to the geometric painting, the first finds were initially wrongly dated to the 8th century BC and were considered to be relics of a peasant folk art at the end of the "dark age". Only since the excavation of the necropolis Mykalessos (Rhitsona) by Burrows and Ure at the beginning of the 20th century, it is known that these idols first appeared in the 6th century BC and are based on older Corinthian types. They underwent various stylistic changes over a period of 100 years, only to finally disappear at the beginning of the 5th century BC. This allows idols of this type to be dated quite accurately. |
| Dimensions: |
139mm height, 68mm width.
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| Condition: |
Figure itself in good condition with almost completely preserved original painting. Some missing parts around the head. Sticker of Davies Antiques on the back reading "9B CPVV 6th C BC".
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2017 from the private posession of M. Voos, Germany. Inherited by M. Voos from the Germany private collection H. Herbst. Acquired approx. in 1976 at Davies Antiques, London for the Herbst collection and brought to Germany (a copy of the original invoice is available).
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| References: |
Cf. Zaalhaas, Idole, Seite 87, Nr. 34a.
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| Literature: |
E. Paul, die böotischen Brettidole. Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift der Karl-Marx-Universität Leipzig, no. 8 (1958/1959). R. M. Burrows, P. N. Ure, BSA 14, (1907/08), pages 226 to 318, plates 7 to 15. V. M. Strocka, Hermes und die Nymphen für Boioter, in: Mouseion, Beiträge zur antiken Plastik (2007), p. 131 to 139. |
| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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