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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1935.35.28
Title
"Doll" or Dancing Woman with Articulated Limbs
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
sculpture, statuette
Date
4th century BCE
Places
Creation Place: Europe, Greece
Period
Classical period, Late, to Early Hellenistic
Culture
Greek
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/292002

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Terracotta
Technique
Mold-made
Dimensions
14.4 x 3.8 x 2.5 cm (5 11/16 x 1 1/2 x 1 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Ionides Collection, London (by 1913). Miss Bettina Kahnweiler, Cambridge, MA (by 1935), gift; to the Fogg Museum of Art.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Miss Bettina J. Kahnweiler
Accession Year
1935
Object Number
1935.35.28
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Description
Small terracotta doll with moveable arms and legs. Her head and body are one continuous piece, with the arms joined to the shoulders by pieces of metal. The arms are long and straight, and only the thumb is detailed. The legs are attached to the inside of her dress with string. The legs are made of one continuous piece, without any detail around the knee, though they are wider towards the middle of the leg. The legs end in undetailed, rounded feet, which have been broken and reattached at the ankles. The head is carved to show a nose, chin, and slight mouth, yet the eyesockets are not deeply carved. Her hair appears to be pulled back into a pointed style behind her head. The terracotta is rough and the reddish color remains only in a few places, such as her neck, left arm, and sides.
Commentary
LIVE LIKE A ROMAN: DAILY LIFE OBJECT COLLECTION

Romans played games that are very similar to games we play now. Though schooling was strict for young boys, often children would play games at home with ivory pieces, knucklebones, marbles, dice, and dolls. This doll was probably a children's toy. It is similar to those made in Corinth in the 4th century BCE. Toys such as these were often buried with a child if he or she died during childhood.

[Jessica Pesce 8/18/2010]

Publication History

  • George M. A. Hanfmann, Greek Art and Life, An Exhibition Catalogue, exh. cat., Fogg Art Museum (Cambridge, MA, 1950), no. 158 [as K. 28].

Exhibition History

  • Greek Art and Life: From the Collections of the Fogg Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Private Lenders, Fogg Art Museum, 03/07/1950 - 04/15/1950

Related Objects

Verification Level

This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or 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