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Identification and Creation

Object Number
2012.1.141
Title
Votive Figurine of a Warrior
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
sculpture
Date
mid 7th-mid 6th century BCE
Places
Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Europe, Laconia
Period
Archaic period
Culture
Greek
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/173710

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Lead
Technique
Cast
Dimensions
5.4 x 1.7 cm (2 1/8 x 11/16 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
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.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Transfer from the Alice Corinne McDaniel Collection, Department of the Classics, Harvard University
Accession Year
2012
Object Number
2012.1.141
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Description
Flat lead figurine of a pointy-nosed warrior with crested helmet and shield walking to the right. The shield, decorated with a radiating pattern, was supposed to be round and would have covered the warrior's upper body. However, it is only partly present, making it appear as if he had a very long neck. The missing parts may have broken off or may have been absent all along, due to faulty casting.

The plain back of the figurine suggests that it was cast in a one-sided mold. The head was broken off and glued back on; there are cracks in the area of the knees.
Commentary
Small, flat figurines cast of lead were common dedications in the sanctuaries of Laconia, the territory of Sparta. Over 100,000 examples were found in the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia alone. Different types of figurines were mass-produced in one-sided molds with a plain back. They depict a winged goddess and other deities (such as Athena), warriors, women, animals (especially deer), and various objects, such as wreaths and branches. Their ubiquity and often careless execution indicate that they were affordable for a large section of the population. They thus reflect popular beliefs and practices.

Publication History

  • Melissa LaScaleia, "The Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia Revisited", Persephone (Fall 2002), Vol. 6, No. 1, 20-23

Exhibition History

  • 32Q: 3620 University Study Gallery, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 09/02/2023 - 12/30/2023

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Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu