Greece, Archaic period, ca. 470 to 450 BCE. Doesn't she take your breath away? This beautiful, mold-made terracotta protome bust probably depicts Persephone - queen of the underworld, daughter of Zeus and the harvest goddess Demeter, and wife of Hades - wearing a polos atop the wavy tresses of her coiffure. A protome is usually a frontal head or bust of a human, deity, or zoomorphic figure. Most bust-length protomes of gods were used as votives (gifts to the gods) and hung on the walls of shrines or temples or even on trees growing in sacred groves. Terracotta protomes were usually brightly painted with yellow, red, blue, and pink pigments in order to create a lively presence; note the nice remains of red and white pigments still visible on this example! Size: 6.3" W x 6.2" H (16 cm x 15.7 cm); 7" H (17.8 cm) on included custom stand.

In addition to her associations with the underworld, Persephone is also associated with spring as the vegetation goddess. Furthermore, Persephone and her mother Demeter were central figures in the Eleusinian mysteries. These were elaborate festivals that took place every five years. Unfortunately, scholars know little about them as those who attended the Eleusinian Mysteries were sworn to secrecy. This said, most agree that the central theme of these Mysteries was that just as the grain returns every spring following its harvest and the winter hibernatory period, the soul returns after the death of the human body, reincarnated for the next life. The Eleusinian Mysteries were not the only Mysteries of the Greco-Roman world. There were also the Mysteries of Dionysos depicted in a famous fresco just outside Pompeii at Herculaneum (the so-called Villa of the Mysteries) as well as Mysteries of various imported eastern gods such as Sabazios and Isis.

This piece has been published in J. Eisenberg, "Art of the Ancient World," vol. XXII (2011), no. 85.

A similar protome of Demeter / Persephone can be found at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston under accession number 97.353.

This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full printed and bound report will accompany the item upon purchase.

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Provenance: ex-Royal Athena Galleries, New York City, New York, USA; ex-Gorny & Mosch, Munich, Germany, December 2009; ex-private German collection

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#177258

Stable hairline fissure to proper left shoulder, as well as expected nicks and abrasions commensurate with age. Some small areas of chipping to pigment. Otherwise, intact and excellent with liberal remaining pigments. TL holes to verso of headdress, shoulders, and base.