SculptureGreek6th century BCE

Votive Figurine of the Goddess Athena

first half of 6th century BCE

Description

Flat lead figurine of an armed goddess facing right, probably Athena. She is wearing a helmet with a high crest; of the crest, only the lower end is preserved. Long tresses of hair extend from below the helmet over her chest. The long skirt shows a diamond pattern (achieved by cross-hatching) in the front and, at back, two vertical lines, perhaps indicating folds. The remains of a cross-hatched aegis, the snake-lined cape usually associated with Athena, are visible behind the figure. The rump of a snake survives at the elbow of the bent, proper right arm. Other figurines from the same mold indicate that the aegis continued on the other side, i.e. the front of the figure. On the present example, an uneven break edge is all that survives. The goddess is holding a spear, which is only partly preserved. The feet are missing. The plain back of the figurine suggests that it was cast in a one-sided mold. There is a horizontal crack at the waist and a diagonal one in upper body.

Classification

Sculpture

Technique

Cast

Medium

Lead

Culture

Greek

Period

Archaic period

Century

6th century BCE

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Ancient and Byzantine Art & Numismatics

Dimensions

5.3 x 2 cm (2 1/16 x 13/16 in.)

Provenance

Humfry Payne Collection (?-1936), England. [Galerie Gunter Puhze, Freiburg, Germany, 2001], sold; to The Alice Corinne McDaniel Collection, Department of the Classics, Harvard University (2001-2012), transfer; to the Harvard Art Museums, 2012.