A Greek Terracotta Head and the "Corinthian" School of Terracotta Sculpture

Abstract

UR knowledge of monumental terracotta sculpture archaic Greece has of late been considerably enlarged. More and more examples, ranging from half lifeto life-size have come to light different parts of Greece and have shown our old theory this material was rarely used Greece for large sculptures was not correct. Many of these pieces are architectural parts of antefixes or akroteria or pediments of buildings; but some must have been dedications set up sanctuaries or even cult statues placed temples. They endorse the testimony of Pausanias who the second century A.D. still saw some terracotta statues of deities and heroes inside buildings and does not specifically imply they were rarities.' In his description of Athens (i, 2,5, and 3,1), for instance, he mentions a building that contains clay statues of Amphiktyon, king of Athens, feasting Dionysos and other and his account of Achaea (vii, 22,9) he says in Trateia is a sanctuary of the gods called the Greatest and their statues are made of clay. In our visualization of early Greek sanctuaries, therefore, we must imagine not only polychrome terracotta decorations on the roofs of temples, but occasionally actual dedications material, placed side by side with marble and bronze ones. They must have contributed no small measure to the brilliance of the general effect. Since the able discussions of Greek terracotta sculptures by Deonna 1906,2 Koch 1915,3 and Mrs. van Buren 1926,4 several more examples have come to light, notably at Olympia. Recently two distinguished archaeologists-the late Humfry Payne 19315 and Emil Kunze 19416-have reviewed our present knowledge of the subject and have made us realize our comparative wealth Greek terracotta sculptures. We can now add to this precious store a head acquired by the Metropolitan Museum 1947 from the collection of the late Joseph Brummer7 (pls. xxxII, xxxiii). It was briefly described and illustrated the Metropolitan Museum Bulletin of January, 1948. I should like here to present it greater detail than was there possible, and to discuss its origin. The head is about life-size.8 The condition may be seen the illustrations. Only a few parts are missing. Plate xxxIII, A, shows the right eye, the left side of the nose, the right side of the lips, and the right side of the front hair restored from the corresponding extant parts. A strongly adhering lime incrustation covered some of the surface has been removed places, but remains here and there, especially on top. As the fracture at the bottom shows (pl. xxxIII, B), the head was worked hollow with thick walls, ranging, at the fracture, from 3.5 to 6 cm. and increasing thickness toward the top. It was apparently part of a figure was built from the bottom up thick layers of red, coarse clay (i.e. plastic clay to which were added sand and bits of fired clay to increase porosity, prevent excessive shrinkage, and avoid distortion during firing). This coarse clay