Greece, Isle of Lemmos, Myrina, Hellenistic Period, ca. 2nd century BCE. A beautiful, lifelike statue of a boy, depicted standing and leaning against a column, wearing only a himation and a rounded wreath or fillet. The himation drapes across his chest, falling from the shoulder to pool behind his feet; part of it also cascades down the front of the column, held in place underneath his elbow. His downcast, somber face displays the sensitivity and naturalism that characterizes Hellenistic statuary. Size: 2.9" W x 6.9" H (7.4 cm x 17.5 cm)

Myrina was one of the major manufacturing centers of terracotta funerary figurines in the Hellenistic period, alongside Tanagra, Priene, Smyrna, and Heraclea Pontica, amongst others. Myrina artisans followed the stylistic trends of monumental sculpture from the period, especially as they portrayed draped garments and statuesque poses. Figurines like this one have been found in great quantities in cemeteries, and some researchers think that they were meant to represent or act as substitutes for the people the deceased knew in life. These figurines are a marked contrast to the more religious themes of the Classical and Archaic periods that preceded them, and seem to represent an interesting shift in ancient Greek thoughts about art and death.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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#136168

Repaired and expertly restored at neck, base, and small area in center of chest. Nice deposits on surface and some remaining pigment.