figure
- Museum number
- 1926,0930.62
- Description
-
Terracotta figure of a praying woman.
A seated naked woman, a beneficent demon, with hands raised in blessing and protection. She is adorned with a double-lobed oval pendant between her breasts, and has bracelets and anklets; she may wear shoes. Her hair is elaborately dressed in a concave melon-style, and is pulled into a bun at the rear. She wears concave disc-earrings, but these may mark the places for a piercing not carried out. There is summary treatment of the hair only at the back: the body is plain.
Hollow; two-piece mould. Micaceous orange-brown Nile silt. White dressing on the front, with slight traces at the back, probably unintentional; and scientific analysis shows the coating to be gypsum (BM Department of Scientific Research Report 7048, 10 May 1999). Black paint on the hair, eyes, shoes, and outside the line of the cabled chain of her pendant; inside the chain is a line of drab yellow paint, which is also found on the earrings. There are traces of pink paint on the body and under the feet. The black paint was applied after the other colours were used.
- Production date
- 2ndC(late) (?)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 14.80 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- BM Terracotta IV
Comparanda. Close: Petrie 1905, pl. xlix:91, from Herakleopolis Magna, House N, dated third century ad (Petrie and Currelly 1905: 27). Near: Dunand 1979: no. 112.
Bibliog. Higgins 1967: pl. 63B, dated first century bc/ad; LIMC iii (2): pl. 68:11 (described as Baubo); Roberts 1997a: 200, no. 276, and 1997b: 242, no. 224.
- Location
- On display (G69/Balcony/dc7/shD)
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
1997 22 Oct-1998 30 Apr, Italy, Rome, Fondaione Memmo, Ancient Faces
- Acquisition date
- 1879
- Acquisition notes
- Collection re-registered upon transfer.
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1926,0930.62
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: EA 1902,1011.15 ((?))
-
Miscellaneous number: EA 37416
