Tanagra Figurine of a Female

Illustration

by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
published on 27 October 2019

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Tanagra Figurine of a Female — This small terracotta figurine is part of the so-called "Tanagra Figurines", which represent wealthy middle-class women. These statuettes served as votive and funerary objects, carrying a symbolic meaning connected with the status and role of "middle-class women". In the modern period, these statuettes were misconstrued as simple genre and decorative trinkets and were often forged.

Hellenistic statuettes of girls and women in rich robes are often called "Tanagras" after the most important site where they were found, the country town of Tanagra in Boeotia (in modern-day Greece). Tanagras were, however, just one of many production sites of such figurines; others were located in Athens (in Greece), Tarentum (in Southern Italy), Myrina (in Turkey), and Alexandria (in Egypt). The figures are remarkable for their wide sun hats, jewelry, fans, and lively colors. 325-150 BCE. It is on display at the Altes Museum in Berlin, Germany.

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About the Author

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin

Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.

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Uploaded by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin, published on 27 October 2019. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Copyright. You cannot use, copy, distribute, or modify this item without explicit permission from the author. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.

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APA Style

Amin, O. S. M. (2019, October 27). Tanagra Figurine of a Female. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/11374/tanagra-figurine-of-a-female/

Chicago Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Tanagra Figurine of a Female." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified October 27, 2019. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/11374/tanagra-figurine-of-a-female/.

MLA Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Tanagra Figurine of a Female." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 27 Oct 2019. Web. 28 Feb 2025.