Figurine of a female dancer wearing a tunic, cloak, veil, headdress, and necklace
Date5th-early 4th century BCE
PeriodClassical
Object GeographyCyprus
CultureCypriot
Geography NotesSaid to have been "found at" Kythrea or Soli, Cyprus
MediumTerracotta (moldmade and handmade)
ClassificationCeramics
ProvenanceFound by Luigi Palma di Cesnola (American Consul to Cyprus, 1865–1876); purchased by subscription by the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1874-1876; (sale, the Anderson Galleries, New York), March 30, 1928; purchased by John Ringling; bequest to The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 1936-present.
Credit LineBequest of John Ringling, 1936
Object numberSN28.2120
This female figurine was made to be a dancer. The twist and sway of her body is emphasized by the flow of her drapery. She holds her arms out to either side. Extra clay added to the figure would have joined her arms to other figures in a ring dance.
On View
Not on viewHeight: 7 1/16 in. (18 cm)
Width: 4 13/16 in. (12.3 cm)
Thickness (at base): 2 1/16 in. (5.3 cm)
Face
Height: 9/16 in. (1.41 cm)
Width (chin to base of hair: 5/8 in. (1.55 cm)
Original molded figure
Width (at head): 15/16 in. (2.38 cm)
Width (at head with added clay): 1 5/8 in. (4.2 cm)
Width (at arms): 2 3/8 in. (6.07 cm)
Width (at arms with added clay): 4.0 in. (10.12 cm)
Width (at bottom): 2.0 in. (5.1 cm)
Width (at bottom with added clay): 2 3/8 in. (6.09 cm)
Beads of necklace
Length: 1/8 in. (0.32 cm)
Width: 1/16 in. (0.11 cm)
Medium Details
Color (Munsell soil color chart)
Fabric: 5YR 7/6 (reddish yellow) to 7.5YR 7/3 (pink) and 10YR 7/4 (very pale brown); core 2.5 YR 6/4 (light reddish brown)
Inclusions
few sand, few tiny lime, few small voids
6th century BCE
late 7th century BCE
late 5th-early 4th c. BCE
late 4th–3rd century BCE