Plaque with a Maenad
c. 400-640 CE
Description
Flat decorative bone plaque depicting a nude female figure, carved in low relief. The figure is likely a dancer, a common motif on late antique furnishings. Another option is that the figure is lying down; similar reclining or swimming figures are often identified as nereids or river goddesses depicted with "flying" drapery in an arc above them. If that were the case, the plaque would be oriented horizontally, rather than vertically. It likely decorated furnishings, like a box or furniture.
Dimensions
max. H. 11.9 × W. 3.1 × D. 0.4 cm (4 11/16 × 1 1/4 × 3/16 in.)
Provenance
[Charles Dikran Kelekian, New York (by 1982)], inherited by; his wife, Beatrice Kelekian, New York, (1982-1984), gift; to the Harvard University Art Museums, 1984.
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