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figure
Object Type
figure
Museum number
1900,0903.10
Description
Terracotta figurine of a female playing a tambourine; wheel-made columnar body with splaying base; hand-made applied arms (right one lost) and instrument; moulded head with Egyptianising features: rounded face and nose with eyes ringed in black paint; wig-like hair (also shown with black paint) swept behind ears; made of orange-buff clay and decorated with black painted: bands and stripes on the body, with facial details also picked out in paint.
Cultures/periods
Cypro-Archaic II
Production date
600BC-500BC
Production place
Made in:
Cyprus
Findspot
Excavated/Findspot:
Lapithos
, Cave sanctuary at a locality called 'Embros Temenon' 0.5km east of Lapithos village
(near)
Materials
terracotta
Technique
painted
handmade
wheel-made
moulded
Dimensions
Height:
18.50 centimetres
(max)
Curator's comments
See Karageorghis Coroplastic, volume VA, 68-75 for additional examples of tambourine players with moulded faces. Karageorghis suggests that Lapithos was also the place of manufacture based on the findspot of the BM example.
Bibliographic references
Terracotta / Catalogue of Terracottas in the British Museum
(A145)
Kiely 2011e / The ancient Kingdom of Lapethos
(19)
Location
Not on display
Subjects
music
Acquisition name
Donated by:
Sir William Frederick Haynes Smith
Acquisition date
1900
Department
Greek and Roman
Registration number
1900,0903.10
Conservation
Treatment
: 02 Aug 2012