Terracotta Figurines Research Articles

A Miniature Terracotta Figurine from Nikonion

The terracotta figurine which is the subject of this paper was found during excavations in Nikonion in 2011. The article seeks to analyse the figurine in order to suggest an origin for the prototype of the terracotta representation, considering that it constitutes a relatively schematic depiction, that it might be late Classical in date judging by the archaeological context.

ХАРПОКРАТ С ЦАРСКИМИ АТРИБУТАМИ И ХАРПОКРАТ-ЭРОТ: ЕГИПЕТСКИЕ ТЕРРАКОТОВЫЕ СТАТУЭТКИ ИЗ СОБРАНИЯ ГМИИ ИМ. А. С. ПУШКИНА

This article introduces five terracotta figurines acquired in Egypt by Vladimir S. Golenishchev and N. G. Ter-Mikaelyan and currently preserved at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. Three statuettes depict the child god Harpocrates with the attributes of royal power; two figurines demonstrate the identification of Harpocrates with the Greek god Eros. Most of the objects can be dated mainly to the Roman times, one is to be dated to the late Ptolemaic period. The places of finding or manufacturing of figurines are mostly unknown; however, according to a number of specific features, these could be towns of the Fayum Oasis, the Delta, and in one case — probably, Edfu. Terracotta figurines of Harpocrates with royal regalia are rare, especially in comparison with the wide-spread occurrence of terracottaе with Harpocrates holding a pot or cornucopia; all these data bring his functions as patron of fertility and defender of health to the fore. The presence of royal attributes seems to be a kind of secondary, partly decorative elements that only enhance the most popular aspects of terracotta images of Harpocrates. The type of figurines depicting Harpocrates sitting on a throne with the crown of the god Amun reproduces the iconography of small bronze sculpture. In other types of terracotta the royal attributes most frequently found are the double crown and — rarely — a nemes-headdress; the crown is usually surrounded by lotus buds, a favorite motive of Harpocrates’ iconography. The childish image of Harpocrates in the time of interaction between Eastern and Western cultures led to a natural synthesis of images of the child gods of Egyptian and Graeco-Roman worlds — Harpocrates and Eros. Apparently, such terracottaе, which had more Hellenistic than Egyptian features, were in demand by the population of different towns in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt.

Freud between Oedipus and the Sphinx

Freud between Oedipus and the Sphinx MIRIAM LEONARD Areproduction of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’s neo-classical painting Oedipus and the Sphinx famously hung over Freud’s couch in his consulting room at Berggasse 19 [figure 1]. Nobody doubts the significance of the figure of Oedipus to the development of Freud’s thought, arion 28.3 winter 2021 Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, (1780–1867). Oedipus and the Sphinx, 1808. Oil on canvas. Photo Credit : Scala/ Art Resource, NY. 132 freud between oedipus and the sphinx but the presence of the Sphinx in this picture raises a series of questions about Freud’s interests which have not been as extensively explored. Indeed, this is far from being the only depiction of the Sphinx which graced Freud’s study. A large etching of the Sphinx at Giza was displayed amongst his bookshelves and a terracotta figurine was amongst his most prized objects.1 These representations of the Sphinx testify to Freud’s broader fascination with Egyptian culture—a fascination which, as we have seen, manifests itself both in his writings and his collection of antiquities. Judith Butler and George Steiner have wondered: “what would happen if psychoanalysis were to have taken Antigone rather than Oedipus as its point of departure?”2 I want to reformulate their question to ask, what would happen if Freud had taken the Sphinx rather than Oedipus as his point of departure? With this counterfactual, I hope to deepen the exploration already undertaken in the previous two articles about Egypt as an origin myth for psychoanalysis—an origin both for the development of the self and for the history of humanity. One possibility, suggested by Edward Said in his last work, Freud and the Non European, is that Freud’s turn to Egypt opened psychoanalysis to a less Eurocentric perspective. For Said, Freud’s foregrounding of Egypt and his interest in the crossover of “non-European” and “European ” cultures testified to his openness and his frustration with the nationalist and racist theories which were so prevalent at the end of his life.3 Said’s claims are compelling but as he would have been the first to note, Freud’s Egyptomania could equally be captive to orientalizing fantasies.4 In what follows I trace the evidence for Freud’s fascination with Egypt and, reading it hieroglyphically (as he would invite us to do), I speculate about its possible impacts on psychoanalysis as art and / or science. Ingres’s first version of Oedipus and the Sphinx—the painting whose reproduction Freud displayed—was completed in 1808. Ingres originally painted the picture in Rome where Miriam Leonard 133 he was studying at the French Academy. In common with other students at the academy, Ingres was required to produce figure studies and the original version of this painting was focused on Oedipus and the representation of his bodily form. Ingres had asked his model to use the same pose as the classical statue of Hermes with the Sandal which is displayed in the Louvre. As François de Vergnette writes: “The clarity of the contours, the muted use of chiaroscuro and the slight surface relief given to the figure of Oedipus add an archaic flavor to the picture. This archaism had its roots in Ingres’s taste for Greek vases.”5 But it is the impact of a different Mediterranean culture which can be felt in Ingres’s depiction of Oedipus’ counterpart. While Oedipus embodies the Winckelmannian Hellenic ideal, the Sphinx is represented in all her oriental glory. Ingres painted this image just ten years after Napoleon had lead his troops and “savants” into Egypt. Napoleon’s Egyptian Campaign gave rise to a widespread fascination with ancient Egyptian culture and its impact on the arts was immense. In choosing to represent Oedipus in his encounter with the Sphinx, Ingres was able to draw on this new aesthetic of orientalism.6 Even before Napoleon ’s expedition, the Sphinx had become a potent visual representation of the mystery of ancient Egypt and of ancient Egypt as mystery. Ingres reworked this image during the course of his career and gave the Sphinx an ever greater prominence. In Ingres ’s depiction, the Sphinx’s orientalism...

СЛУЧАЙНЫЕ НАХОДКИ ТЕРРАКОТОВЫХ СТАТУЭТОК ИЗ РЕСПУБЛИКИ ТАДЖИКИСТАН

The paper presents two terracotta statuettes from the Republic of Tajikistan. One of them was found in the course of archaeological reconnaissance works in the Vakhsh valley in 1971. The time and place of discovery of the second statuette are unknown. The first statuette is a slab with relief depicting a female divinity dressed in a long robe with a necklace (fig. 1, 1), while the second rep- resents what appears to be a horseman image (fig. 1, 2). Both statuettes find numerous analogies in the materials of antique settlements of Central Asia, but have also some local specific traits.

Майяский бестиарий: традиция, вариация и интерпретация зооморфизма в терракоте I тыс. н.э.

In article are considered features of a zoomorphism in terracotta figurines of the Maya of the classical period. It is possible to allocate several types (variants) of zoomorphous images. There are distinguished plot features, specifics of technological elements and proposed interpretation of four groups of zoomorphic terracotta images. The originality of the study and the use of expressive means in figurative plastic in the expression of zoomorphism, makes it possible to highlight two of its main characteristic features: conditionality in the creation of the representative of fauna itself, and high-character in cases of their sacralization. The experience and skill of the master manufacturer is important.

The Ecole francaise d'Extreme-Orient - Sarawak Museum Department Archaeological Project in Santubong

Archaeological research in Sarawak began just after the Second World War under the leadership of Tom Harrisson. As Curator of the Sarawak Museum since 1947, he began exploring the Sarawak River Delta, a 600 km area between Telaga Air in the northwest, Tanjung Sipang in the north, Tanjung Po in the northeast, Samarahan in the southeast and Kampung Makam in the southwest. It is the village of Santubong at the mouth of the Santubong River, one of the branches of the delta, that first caught Harrisson's attention because of observations and chance finds made there since the middle of the nineteenth century. Mention should be made of the famous Batu Gambar, an anthropomorphic sculpture in high relief on a rock at the Sungai Jaong site, rediscovered by a local in the 1880s, and near which was found a "Hindu" terracotta figurine, of carved stones reported at the beginning of the twentieth century on the neighbouring site of Bongkissam, "Indian character" pottery, as well as various objects in gold, Chinese coins and a few residues from ironworking (cf. especially Evans 1929).

The Water-Carrier in Graeco-Roman Egypt

This paper aims to highlight profession of water-carrier in the Graeco-Roman period through papyri, ostracas and terracotta figurines. It discusses the implements and animals used in carrying and transporting water. It describes examples of water carrier's figurines in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and GraecoRomanMuseum in Alexandria. The results reveal that the water carrier played an important role in supplying water to people and quarries; they used water skins and depended on donkeys and camels in carrying water.

Terracottas from the Maslyny Settlement on the Chora of Tauric Chersonesos

In the article the finds of terracotta figurines from the excavations of the Hellenistic settlement of Maslyny in North-western Taurica (excavations by V. O. Latysheva) are analyzed. The terracotta collection contains striking specimens of ancient coroplastic. The figurines illustrate the religious life of the population, including the worship of cults of a family nature. All terracottas were found on the territory of the living and utility homesteads of the settlement. Most of the figurines are located in a room at the south tower, which, according to the interior and related material, had several functions. Other statuettes were also found in the non-ordinary rooms and this text also indicates their cultic purpose. Sanctuaries in rooms at the tower were known before at Chersonesos chora. Such practice of private sanctuaries corresponds to the choice of the most prominent and extraordinary places for arranging public sanctuaries of polis. Terracottas of Eros Thanatos, doves, and female figurines are connected with the cult of Aphrodite. One of three Erotes is decorated with red ribbons crossed on his chest. Such adornment is peculiar for Aphrodite images and not known on terracottas of this type. Protomes hanged on the wall and doves hanged to the ceiling, as well as female bust serving for a thymiaterion illustrate the variety of religious practices conducted by the habitants. A tympanon held by Nike reminds of mystery cults. The remains of ivy wreath on a Tanagra type figurine and a tympanum in the hands of Nika remind of Dionysus cult. The figurines are dated, according to the general chronology of the site, not earlier than the third quarter of 4th—3rd c. BC. Some statuettes were made in Tauric Chersonesos, where similar cults are traced during the Hellenistic period. Terracottas from Maslyny settlement find the closest analogies at the sites of the North-western Black Sea region, including Olbia and Callatis. This fact allows tracing the relation between Tauric Chersonesos and that region

POPULAR DIVINE IMAGERY IN HELLENISTIC AND ROMAN ALEXANDRIA. THE TERRACOTTA FIGURINES COLLECTION OF THE PATRIARCHAL SACRISTY IN ALEXANDRIA

Terracotta figurines represent one of the most fascinating categories of material evidence from Hellenistic (Ptolemaic) and Roman Egypt relating to the domestic aspects of religious life. They include deities, ordinary humans, animals and sacred symbols, represented in exhaustive variety, both in terms of content and form. The group of terracotta figurines presented in this paper are no exception. It is drawn from the collection of the Sacristy of the Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, exhibited in a most impressive Roman cistern, which was discovered during the recent renovation of the Patriarchate premises. The catalogue will be accompanied by a concise overview of the nature and role of the main divine protagonists in comparison to other types of material evidence such as statuary, architecture, coinage and epigraphy, focusing on Alexandria, the capital of Egypt during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods.

Athena Parthenos in Liverpool

AbstractA terracotta figurine depicting Athena Parthenos, which is in the collections of the University of Liverpool and previously dated to the Roman period, is argued to have been made in the 19th century. The premise is based on the object’s close stylistic similarities to 19th-century terracotta figurines in collections in Manchester and Geneva, leading to the conclusion that all three were made from the same mould, and accordingly are of the same date. The note also considers possible reasons for the manufacture of this series of terracotta figurines depicting Athena Parthenos.

Clay Figurines from Sirkeli Höyük

Sirkeli Höyük is a settlement mound in the cilician plain near Adana, Turkey. It was first excavated in the 1930s by John Garstang. Work there was resumed in the 1990s by Barthel Hrouda and Horst Ehringhaus, and then again from 2006 until the present day; initially by the Universities of Tübingen and Çanakkale and subsequently (2011 onwards) by the Universities of Bern and Çanakkale. My Master’s thesis focused on the terracotta figurines unearthed during the excavations from 1992 onwards. Its aim was to construct a classification for the material from Sirkeli Höyük, which I documented, classified and catalogued according to their shape. I did not create a completely new classification, but rather tried to build on work form A. Pruss and H. Goldmann, who’s approaches I adapted to suit the material from Sirkeli Höyük. The terracotta figurines found to date span the following epochs: the Hellenistic period, the Iron Age, the Late Bronze Age, and the Middle Bronze Age. The first aim of my PhD is to construct a working typology for these terracotta figurines by clearly defining the criteria of each of the different types. In a second phase I intend to elaborate my existing comparison of the material from Sirkeli Höyük and figurines from other excavations in the cicilian plain, to document their geographical distribution and diversity. The final phase will be an evaluation of the temporal dispersion of differing styles with a view to determining the extent of any extra-regional influences.

Pişmiş Toprak Figürinler ve Anıtsal Heykeller: Bağımsız Mı Takipçi Mi

Since the very early period, one of the field of art which human being could be depicted in a real-like manner have been the plastic art. In this field, sto­ne sculptures and terracotta figurines have a special importance. In the region of ancient Aegean, the earli­est human representations among three dimensional ones, had been the figurines made from clay. Within the middle of the VII th century BC, in parallel with the progress of the knowledge in art and the sense of aes­thetics, sculptors started to use the marble and the limestone in order to create live-size human figures. From then on, till to the end of ancient times, monu­mental sculptures were one of the most strong images in terms of religion and social life. Terracotta figurines share the same chronology with monumental sculp­tures. However, there have been some diffrences be­tween two field of art in terms of their functions and meanings. In spite of the technical and funtional dif­ferences, tipological characteristics reveal the inter­raciton between these two fields. For understanding the characteristics of this interaction clearly, it is esen­tial to examine the periodical progress of the terra­cotta figurines and monumental sculptures. It seems that there used to be a change of role between figu­rines and statues concerning to lead to the style. While terracotta figurines have the effects of specific monu­mental statues in certain periods, they also define the order of the sculpture in some periods. Consequently, as terracottas had their own dynamics in terms of ty­pe, iconography and function, they had a very im­portant role for understanding the ancient people and their lives.

A Divine Couple: Demeter Malophoros and Zeus Meilichios in Selinus

AbstractThis paper concerns a collection of rough-hewn flat stelae excavated from the precinct of Zeus Meilichios in Selinus, Sicily between 1915 and 1926, a majority with two heads or busts, one male and one female, carved at their tops. These crudely fashioned idols are unique in their iconography. They combine the flat inscribed Punic stela with the Greek figural tradition, with some indigenous features. Their meaning is totally obscure – especially since they lack any literary reference. No comparable monuments have been found in ancient Mediterranean cult. The twin stelae were often set up above a collection of burnt rodent and bird bones, ashes, lamps, broken and burnt pottery and terracotta figurines, as a memorial of a sacrifice. The stelae were the objects of a gentilicial cult, similar to that posited for the inscribed “Meilichios stones” with which they shared the Field of Stelae of Zeus Meilichios. The theory advanced here interprets these diminutive stelae (average height 30 cm) as the objects of domestic cult. It was customary in many parts of the ancient Mediterranean, from the Bronze Age down to the Roman period, to venerate household or family gods who protected the health and the wealth of the family. They were thought to embody the spirits of the ancestors and could at times be identified with the gods of the state religion.This divine couple whose effigies were dedicated in the Field of Stelae over a period of four centuries, into the third century, cannot be claimed as Greek or Punic deities. What these nameless protectors of the family were called we cannot say: Meilichios and Meilichia, Father and Mother, or Lord and Lady of the household? As the objects of such a personal domestic cult, their names might have differed with each family.

The Terra-cotta Figurines from a Lamp Workshop at Khirbat Shumeila near Beit Nattif, Israel

In 1934, excavations conducted at Beit Nattif, in the Judaean Shephelah region, uncovered a rich assemblage of waste from a terra-cotta lamp and figurine workshop. The items produced at the workshop, which are now known by the name of the site, are dated to around 300 c.e. and can be considered a hallmark of the regional material culture of the Late Roman period, a time of wideranging cultural influences. Recent excavations at Khirbat Shumeila, located in the immediate Beit Nattif region, have uncovered the remains of a Beit Nattif lamp workshop. The Khirbat Shumeila workshop can be dated to the late 4th century c.e. During the excavations, a number of typical Beit Nattif figurines and a figurine mold were uncovered, providing an opportunity to analyze the stylistic and morphological development of the figurines over 100 years. While the new workshop was focused primarily on lamp production, figurine production existed as a secondary industry, further implying the existence of multiple parallel workshops in the region.

Edukacyjna funkcja koroplastycznych przedstawień terakotowych z Egiptu okresu grecko-rzymskiego, na podstawie wybranych grup zabytków

The Educational Function of Terracotta Representations from Egypt in the Graeco-Roman PeriodThe subject of this paper aims to investigate problems associated with selected examples of terracotta drawn from the wide iconographic range of figurines produced in Egypt during the Graeco-Roman period. It attempts to find an answer to the question of whether, in the case of the categories of figurines and terracotta plaques, there are any associations or correlations with upbringing and education. The author maintains that the terracotta figurines, which are the subject of this paper, could include, among many others, examples evoking patterns of appropriate behaviour. Some figurines also played a significant part in the history of Graeco-Roman Egypt, forming an important source for the promotion of a range of information with a socio-political content.

Магические атрибуты в искусстве и представлениях народов Центральной Азии и Сибири

The article touches upon some controversial issues related to the definition and meaning of the attributes of the goddess of Destiny in the art and ritual sphere of the peoples of Central Asia and Siberia. The main subject that unites this image in different traditions is the spindle. The cult of the goddess is known in different cultures — from the Sumerians to the ethnographic time. Referring to the origins of the cult helps to define individual concepts and meanings. The image of the goddess with a spindle is considered on the example of the monuments of art of the Kushan era of Central Asian antiquity (I century BC-IV century AD) and the early Middle Ages (V-VI centuries). Terracotta figurines were found on the territory of Margiana, Northern Bactria, Sogd, Khorezm. Findings of parts from spindles and weaving looms in temples and funerary complexes correlate with the ideas about the goddess. The goddesses spinning the thread of life in different cultures have a connection with the Tree, the World Axis, the Moon, Water (sources, wells), fire (hearth), birth, life and death. Spinning craft selection among other women's crafts is probably related to the concept of the «silver» thread connecting the physical and astral bodies of man. The veneration of the goddess, ascending to a single source, demonstrates the factor of the convergence of cultures.

Degas: A Passion for Perfection ed. by Jane Munro

Reviewed by: Degas: A Passion for Perfection ed. by Jane Munro James P. Gilroy Munro, Jane, ed. Degas: A Passion for Perfection. Yale UP, 2017. ISBN 978-0-300-22823-6. Pp. 272. This catalogue of an exhibit recently held at the Denver Art Museum and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge (UK) includes eleven essays, five by editor Jane Munro and six by other scholars. Although the exhibit encompasses all of the forms of Degas's œuvre, including his paintings, there is a special focus on his sculptures, drawings, monotypes, and pastels. Several essays are very revealing in the ways they bring to light previously lesser-known aspects of his artistic personality and working habits. As the title of the exposition indicates, Degas was a perfectionist who not only did countless preliminary studies for his finished works but also frequently recast what might have been considered the final product. Among the insights that these essays provide is the amount of time and effort Degas devoted to copying the works of old masters in painting and sculpture in the Louvre and other museums. Although Degas produced the greatest number of these studies during the early years of his career, he continued this practice late into his life. Of course, what he sought and derived from [End Page 237] the earlier works were echoes and resonances of his own creative inspiration. It is also noteworthy that Degas never produced a bronze sculpture during his lifetime. His sculptures were made of beeswax, plaster, and other malleable materials, and, in keeping with his usual practice, he continually remodeled them until he achieved the image he sought to capture. Moreover, except for The Little Dancer, which was exhibited at the Impressionist Salon of 1881, Degas never displayed his many sculptures to the public. Only friends whom he invited to his studios in Montmartre got to see them. It was only after his death in 1917, when his works were sold at auction and several of his sculptures were cast in bronze, that the general public became cognizant of this whole phase of his artistic output. Often his sculptures were preliminary studies for paintings and pastels. They were part of his effort to bestow a three-dimensional quality to a two-dimensional surface. The subjects of his statues embraced a similar range as his pastels and included ballet dancers in performance or at rehearsal, nude women bathing often in awkward postures (works that have provoked criticism from feminist critics), and racehorses. Jill De Vonyar contributes an interesting essay about Degas's fascination with Greek sculpture and how it influenced his depiction of female dancers in motion. He was particularly taken with small terra cotta statuettes of the Late Classical period that had recently been excavated at the site of Tanagra in Boetia. He even acquired some for his own extensive collection of works by other artists. Several of the essays demonstrate Degas's wish to be at the forefront of the latest technical innovations in graphic art. One such technique that is well illustrated in the exhibit is his development of the monotype, or greasy ink drawing. This art form added a whole new tactile dimension to engravings. James P. Gilroy University of Denver (CO) Copyright © 2019 American Association of Teachers of Frenchs

La collection d’antiquités grecques de l’Institut d’art et d’archéologie de Paris. 2. Les figurines en terre cuite

The Institut d’art et d’archéologie of Paris has at its disposal a collection of Greek antiquities that were initially gathered and displayed in the Sorbonne. Made up of about 300 pieces, this collection is now under special care within the framework of a scientific and cultural heritage program. Following a first paper dedicated to a series of Greek vases and fragments (published in Journal des Savants 2016), this second study deals with a collection of about 110 terracotta figurines. The research has been conducted along two lines : first by considering the marks inscribed on the pieces, then by studying all legal decrees and administrative archives related to these pieces. Beside a few figurines deposited by the French Republic, the majority of this research and teaching collection was acquired thanks to various gifts to the University, by the French School in Athens, by the French engineer Paul Gaudin and by the Greek merchant Elias Arapides. Unfortunately, nearly two thirds of the original collection, amounting to about 300 pieces, has now disappeared.

Terracotta elements in the architectural decoration from Seleucia on the Tigris

The Italian excavations at Seleucia on the Tigris brought to light almost exclusively terracotta elements of architectural decoration. Of the around 350 fragments found by the Italian archaeologists, only seven are made of stucco. In some respects these finds broaden the picture offered by the architectural decorations from the American excavations, which include both terracotta and stucco elements. Besides simas, antefixes, cornices and decorated bricks made of clay mixed with straw, the excavations of the Centro Ricerche Archeologiche e Scavi di Torino also yielded elements for assembled capitals, capitals and bases for engaged pillars made from the same fine and compact clay used for the making of the terracotta figurines. The great majority of them were concentrated in two deposits dating to the 1st cent. bc-1st cent. ad and connected to the activity of a large workshop specialized in the production of terracotta figurines.

مہر گڑھ :تاریخ وکِڑد، اسہ گونڈ وجاچ اس

Mehrgarh is one of the ancient settlements, which is situated in district of Kachi (Bolan) on the foot hills of Bolan river near Dahdar. The ancient settlement is belonged to Neolithic period (7000BCE-2600BCE). The French Archaeological team took part in the excavations of Mehrgarh under the supervision of Jean Fransco Jarrige since 1974 to 2000. After a long period, the team has excavated seven periods of Mehrgarh mound. The team conclude that the ancient people of Mehrgarh were well advanced and developed. The archaeological evidences of Mehrgarh proves that the inhabitants of area had introduced first time village culture network, Terracotta figurine (human and animals), domestication of plants (wheat, rice and barely) and animals (waterbufallo) in South Asia. Mehrgarh had produced remains of dental surgery who able to treats the affected teeth on that time by the help of an ancient technology. however, the inhabitants of Mehrgarh used to storage jar for the purpose of seeds storage. The ancient population had trade linked among neighboring populations as well long distance communication such as Iran, Afghanistan, Oman and Mesopotamia through sea and land routes.