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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1992.256.88
Title
Standing Female Figure
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
sculpture, statuette
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/311830

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Copper alloy
Technique
Cast, lost-wax process
Dimensions
7 x 1.9 cm (2 3/4 x 3/4 in.)
Technical Details

Technical Observations: The statuette is a solid cast. It was probably cast in a two-part mold. The piece is intact. The different lengths of the legs appear to be an aspect of the original fabrication rather than resulting from loss. The ends of the legs, or feet, were both rounded off and finished the same way. Modern tool marks from previous cleaning efforts have left scratches, some down to bare metal. The patina is greenish black and brown with light tan burial deposits.


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
1992.256.88
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Published Catalogue Text: Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Bronzes at the Harvard Art Museums
This standing statuette consists of a flat body with long narrow legs that are parallel to each other; the proper left leg is shorter than the right. The body is flat except for a rounded oval form bisected by a groove to represent the buttocks. The arms are bent upward and touch the sides of the head at the ears. The head has a prominent nose, two rounded eyes, and eyebrows in relief that extend sideways from the bridge of the nose. A rounded cap-like projection crowns the head. The back of the head and upper body are flat and featureless.
When viewed in profile, sharp ridges, especially on the right side of the torso, suggest that this statuette may have been cast in a bivalve stone mold. The proportions of this unusual figure recall the products of the Byblos workshops. While this figure is ambiguous in terms of gender, it might represent a female deity or worshipper.

David G. Mitten

Subjects and Contexts

  • Ancient Bronzes

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