Greece, Archaic Period, ca. 6th century BCE. A mold-made votive figure of a woman. She stands, wearing a polos hat over a towering wiglike hairstyle, and a long chiton, with her hair falling over the shoulders of her mantle. Her hands are pressed against her abdomen, perhaps in a gesture of fertility. The votive statue may have been placed in a small household altar, or given as an offering at a temple dedicated to the goddess, or made to be placed in a grave, where female figures are commonly found. Comes with custom stand. Size: 2.7" W x 7.5" H (6.9 cm x 19 cm); height on stand: 7.65" (19.4 cm)

Votive objects from Archaic Greece are a fascinating reminder of L. P. Hartley's famous quote, "The past is a different country, they do things differently there." Archaic Greeks believed that anything they admired or enjoyed could be given as a gift to the gods. Many of these items were replicated in terracotta or bronze to be given as a sign of devotion, and, like this one, have found their way to the present day, a reminder of the form of ancient devotion. We know this figure is a goddess in part because the polo was used to signify divinity in statuary from this period.

Provenance: acquired at the Dorotheum, Vienna, Austria, in February 2001

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#123461

Intact, with fine detail remaining and light surface deposits as shown.