What do the terracotta and clay figurines represent?
They were brought to temples and sanctuaries as offerings to the gods and deposited in graves as cherished possessions of the deceased, gifts, or as protective devices. Among the numerous types of Greek terracotta figurines, one group stands out.
What were the terracotta female figurines used for?
Terracotta figurines have been found in multiple types of sites (1) and are used for a variety or purposes: some were used as dolls (2); others were funerary or votive offerings; and others were miniature representations of gods and goddesses.
Who made Tanagra figurines?
Jean-Léon Gérôme
Jean-Léon Gérôme created a polychromatic sculpture depicting the spirit of Tanagra, and one French critic described the fashionable women portrayed in the statuettes as “the parisienne of the ancient world”.
What is meant by terracotta figurines?
Terracotta figurines are a mode of artistic and religious expression frequently found in ancient Greece. These figurines abound and provide an invaluable testimony to the everyday life and religion of the ancient Greeks.
What is unique about each terracotta statue?
Though most of their hands are identical, and only eight molds were used to shape their heads, distinctive surface features were added with clay after assembly. As a result, each terra cotta soldier appears to be unique in its facial features, revealing a high level of craftsmanship and artistry.
Did Greeks use terra cotta?
Archaeologists working on the famed Terra Cotta Army in China now believe their lifelike appearance could have been modeled on ancient Greek sculptures.
Where did figurines originate?
The word figurine is from the Italian word figurina, which itself is based on the Latin word figura, which means shape, body, or figure.
What is the oldest clay sculpture?
The Venus of Dolni Vestonice
The Venus of Dolni Vestonice (c.26,000 BCE) The Czech Venus of Dolni Vestonice (Vestonicka Venuse) is the oldest surviving item of ceramic art in the world. Roughly 4.5 inches tall and 1.7 inches wide, it was made from local clay, combined with powdered bone and baked in an earthen oven at about 700°C.