Tanagra Figurine

Name/Title

Tanagra Figurine

Entry/Object ID

535

Acquisition

Source (if not Accessioned)

Anthony J. Drexel, Jr.

Notes

Date: 1895 Means of Accession: gift

Made/Created

Artist

Unidentified

Date made

circa 300 BCE

Place

Country

Greece

Continent

Europe

Dimensions

Height

6-5/16 in

Height

16.03 cm

Material

Earthenware (redware)

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Exhibition Label

Label

While there are a number of scarf and mantle forms, the himation is perhaps the most distinctive form worn by both men and women at the time. Varying in size, quality and fabric, the himation could be draped in different ways, to serve as a shawl, cloak or head covering. Women often put on the himation when they went out, like a modern-day jacket, with the purpose of protecting them from the cold.

Label Type

Curator Pick of the Month

Label

Terracotta figurines tell us a lot about the daily lives of ancient Greeks through their portrayal of people and dress. In the absence of any surviving clothing, Tanagra figurines provide valuable evidence of trends in classical dress. Named “Tanagras” after the location of their original workshop, these statuettes are small terracotta figures that depict fashionable women in statuesque poses. The figurines wear elegantly wrapped cloaks stretch tightly around their bodies. These cloaks not only reflect the artistic skill of Greeks at the time, but also reveal the styles of contemporary fashion.