Central Greece, Boetia, ca. 4th to 3rd century BCE. An expertly rendered, hollow-cast female standing figure mounted upon a square pottery base. The elegant figure presents a delicately modeled face and is draped in a voluminous himation over her chiton, holding the cascading folds together at her right hip, her centrally parted wavy locks pulled back from her face to the nape of her neck and flowing down her back in a long "ponytail." A beautiful example with nice remains of original white slip. Similar examples may be found in Reynold Higgins' "Tanagra and the Figurines" (Princeton University Press, 1987). Size: 6.5" H (16.5 cm)

'Tanagras' are named after the site in Boeotia, central Greece, where thousands of similar figures were unearthed in the early 1870s. Figures of men, children and comic actors were also found at Tanagra, but standing female figures are the most numerous. The chief appeal of Tanagra figures lies in their exceptional artistic quality usually considered to be the finest of all Greek figurines. The ladies are normally depicted in casual poses and their clothes, which usually consist of a thinner undergarment, the chiton, worn beneath a thicker cloak or himation, are typically pulled and twisted in pleasing patterns which emphasize the form of the figure beneath. Most Tanagra figures are mould made and sometimes have a vent cut in the back to ensure even distribution of heat in the firing. After firing, the figure was coated in a white slip, often a solution of chalk or white clay, and then colors were added on top. The artists who produced these figures were known as coroplasts, literally 'modelers of girls.'

Provenance: Ex-NYC collector M.S.; acquired from a private Dutch collection.

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#118471

Casting flaw on back. Losses to tip of right foot and peripheries of square base. Surface shows mineral deposits and wear with abrasions and pigment losses.