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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1992.256.64
Title
Standing Female Figure with Beak Nose
Other Titles
Alternate Title: Female Figure with Beak Nose
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
statuette, sculpture
Date
14th-13th century BCE
Places
Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Asia, Anatolia
Period
Hittite Empire period
Culture
Syro-Hittite
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/304204

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Copper
Technique
Cast, lost-wax process
Dimensions
3.6 x 1.5 cm (1 7/16 x 9/16 in.)
Technical Details

Chemical Composition: ICP-MS/AAA data from sample, Copper:
Cu, 98.34; Sn, less than 0.25; Pb, 0.09; Zn, 0.001; Fe, less than 0.01; Ni, 0.08; Ag, 0.07; Sb, 0.07; As, 1.35; Bi, less than 0.025; Co, less than 0.005; Au, less than 0.01; Cd, less than 0.001
J. Riederer

Technical Observations: The statuette is a solid cast. It was possibly cast upside down in a two-part mold, with some working done after casting to remove flaws and to shape the piece further. It is intact except for a loss at the top of the head. It was possibly overcleaned. The surface is coppery brown with a few spots of red and green corrosion. Black and tan burial deposits are visible in low areas.


Carol Snow (submitted 2002)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Louise M. and George E. Bates, Camden, ME (by 1971-1992), gift; to the Harvard University Art Museums, 1992.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Louise M. and George E. Bates
Accession Year
1992
Object Number
1992.256.64
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Descriptions

Published Catalogue Text: Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Bronzes at the Harvard Art Museums
The miniature statuette consists of a cylindrical body rising from a conical base with a flat bottom. Two small arms project diagonally outward from the shoulders. A large head with a prominent beak nose and two deeply recessed eyes extending to the sides of the head complete the figure. The base of a small projection rises from the top of the head. The back of the head is rounded. There are no other surface features.
This miniature statuette of indeterminate gender is clearly a votive offering. The form of the head relates it closely to 1992.256.42 and 1992.256.46.

David G. Mitten

Subjects and Contexts

  • Ancient Bronzes

Related Works

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