Greece, Hellenistic period, ca. 3rd century BCE. A mold-made terracotta figure of a standing woman of fashion. She holds a fragmentary fan in her right hand. She wears a long chiton, her himation falling from her shoulders and over her arms and back, with her hair arranged in a wide chignon at the nape of her neck. Her face is naturalistic and sensitively rendered, with an almost playful expression common to Hellenistic sculptural depictions of women. The remains of white pigment are visible in the lower profile areas of the figure. Size: 2" L x 3.5" W x 8.4" H (5.1 cm x 8.9 cm x 21.3 cm)

During the Hellenistic Period, Greeks had access to knowledge about the past through institutions like the Library of Alexandria, which created a sense of history and connection to those who had come before them. Prominent Hellenistic art collectors commissioned pieces based on public statues from the earlier Classical Period, and smaller, more available art forms like this sculpture echoed the naturalistic, detailed Classical style. Terracotta figures like this one have been found in private dwellings where they may have been part of a shrine or had a religious purpose. Others decorate tombs and sanctuaries - in Tanagra, the site that this style of figure is named for, some graves had up to a dozen of these statues. Perhaps they represented mourners, dressed in finery to attend a funeral.

Provenance: private collection of David Garfield, Edward D. Freis, acquired at Sotheby's, New York, USA in December 1992

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Piece has been repaired with some restoration on the back and sides, possibly on the fan.