figurine; votive figure

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Object Type: figurine; votive figure
Museum number: 1900,0903.17
Description: Terracotta votive figurine of female playing a lyre; hand-made body, lower part cylindrical with splaying ends, with applied details worked with a incising tool; traces of red and black paint on surface; the lyre, with crudely rendered strings, is held in the left hand; the face has a prominent nose, lips and chin and very large painted eyes; she wears a long robe splaying outwards at the feet but other garment details are painted; around the head is a large turban, behind which falls what appears to be a mass of spreading hair, or else very large ear-caps, with details indicated by parallel incisions; from her neck hang two elaborate necklaces, one supporting a large bulbous pendant, the other extending to the navel behind the right arm; pink-buff clay with traces of red and black paint on the lower part of the body.
Cultures/periods
Production date: 600BC-550BC
Production place: Made in: Lapithos (?)
Findspot: Excavated/Findspot: Lapithos, Cave sanctuary at a locality called 'Embros Temenon' 0.5km east of Lapithos village (near)
Materials
Type series
Technique: painted; handmade; incised; applied
Dimensions: Height: 18.50 centimetres; Width: 10 centimetres (across chest)
Curator's comments: See Caubet and Yon 1988 for a discussion of the Lapithos workshops.
Bibliographic references: Terracotta / Catalogue of Terracottas in the British Museum (A141); Karageorghis Coroplastic VA / The coroplastic art of ancient Cyprus. V. The Cypro-Archaic period small female figurines. A. Handmade/wheelmade figurines (p. 43, cat. no. 67; pl. XXVIII:1); Kiely 2011e / The ancient Kingdom of Lapethos (6)
Location: On display (G72/dc3)
Subjects: devotee/worshipper; musical instrument; musician
Acquisition name
Acquisition date: 1900
Department: Greek and Roman
Registration number: 1900,0903.17
Conservation: Treatment: 28 Nov 2012; Treatment: 22 Feb 1999

Free entry

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