Head of a Female Figure
530-500 BCE
Description
Fragment (head) of a small terracotta statue of a female figure. The figure's large, almond-shaped eyes, nose, and lips are well articulated. The facial features are emphasized through painting: the skin tone is painted with a darker flesh tone; whites of the eyes are painted white; a dark brown paint outlines the eyes and forms the eye brows. On the nape of the neck hang eight articulated locks of hair; a fillet encircles the head. Locks in front of the proper left ear are painted in dark brown; traces of paint remain on the proper right side, from which the locks are broken. There is a hole in the top of the head. A modern drilled hole is present in the base of the neck. A sample from this site was taken for thermoluminescence dating, which was performed in January 1997. The results of this test provided an estimated that the sample was last fired 2650 years ago +/- 450 years (giving a range of about 1100-200 BCE); this result was consistent with an ancient date.
Dimensions
7.3 x 5.4 cm (2 7/8 x 2 1/8 in.)
Provenance
Robert E. Hecht, Jr., New York (by 1997), sold; to Harvard University Art Museums, 1997.
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