Tanagra Figurine

Illustration

by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
published on 29 October 2019

This small terracotta figurine is part of the so-called "Tanagra Figurines", which represent wealthy middle-class women. These statuettes served as votive and funerary objects, carrying a symbolic meaning connected with the status and role of "middle-class women". In the modern period, these statuettes were misconstrued as simple genre and decorative trinkets and were often forged.

Hellenistic statuettes of girls and women in rich robes are often called "Tanagras" after the most important site where they were found, the country town of Tanagra in Boeotia (in modern-day Greece). Tanagra was, however, just one of many production sites of such figurines; others were located in Athens (in Greece), Tarentum (in Southern Italy), Myrina (in Turkey), and Alexandria (in Egypt). The figures are remarkable for their wide sun hats, jewelry, fans, and lively colors.

325-150 BCE. It is on display at the Altes Museum in Berlin, Germany.

About the Author

Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.

License & Copyright

Uploaded by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin, published on 29 October 2019. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Copyright. You cannot use, copy, distribute, or modify this item without explicit permission from the author. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.

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Cite This Work

APA Style

Amin, O. S. M. (2019, October 29). Tanagra Figurine. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/11375/tanagra-figurine/

Chicago Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Tanagra Figurine." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified October 29, 2019. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/11375/tanagra-figurine/.

MLA Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Tanagra Figurine." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 29 Oct 2019. Web. 16 Apr 2024.