SculptureGreek3rd century BCE

Attis Playing Pan Pipes

3rd century BCE

Description

This small terracotta sculpture of a male youth playing pan pipes depicts the Greek and Roman mythological figure of Attis. Shown as an “eastern” shepherd, the youth sits on a rock. Wearing leggings, a cloak, and a Phrygian cap, he plays the pan pipes (syrinx). A dog sits by his right leg. This figure’s attire—leggings and a Phrygian cap—mark him as a foreigner. Indeed, Attis, the mythological character, is from Phrygia, a region in modern-day Turkey. This is a typical representation of Attis. The hollow figurine is largely complete, but losses include the tip of the Phrygian cap and the bottom back edges (including the lower part of the dog’s body). The back of the figure is not modeled.

Classification

Sculpture

Technique

Mold-made

Medium

Terracotta

Culture

Greek

Period

Hellenistic period

Century

3rd century BCE

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Ancient and Byzantine Art & Numismatics

Dimensions

H. 15.2 × W. 6.4 × D. 5.1 cm (6 × 2 1/2 × 2 in.)

Provenance

Louis-Joseph-Raphaël Collin [1], Paris, (by 1890-1911), sold; to William A. Clark [2], New York, (by 1911-1925), bequest; to Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., (1926-2018) [3], transferred; to American University Museum, Washington, D.C., (2018-2021), sold; [through Sands of Time, Washington, D.C.]; to Harvard Art Museums, 2022. 1. Louis-Joseph-Raphaël Collin (1850-1916) 2. William Andrews Clark (1839-1925) 3. Following the closure of the Corcoran Gallery in 2014, its collections were physically transferred to the National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.); the Corcoran Board of Trustees retained ownership until the collections were officially transferred to and accessioned into other museums’ collections (in 2018, in this case).