Terracotta statuette of a seated woman

Terracotta statuette of a seated woman

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Because of her seated position and the headdress, this figure probably represents a goddess. Of particular interest is the flying bird on her skirt. This motif is common on contemporary Boeotian stemmed bowls. It is unclear whether any connection exists between the bowls and a deity.

Greek and Roman Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Terracotta statuette of a seated womanTerracotta statuette of a seated womanTerracotta statuette of a seated womanTerracotta statuette of a seated womanTerracotta statuette of a seated woman

The Museum's collection of Greek and Roman art comprises more than thirty thousand works ranging in date from the Neolithic period (ca. 4500 B.C.) to the time of the Roman emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity in A.D. 312. It includes the art of many cultures and is among the most comprehensive in North America. The geographic regions represented are Greece and Italy, but not as delimited by modern political frontiers: Greek colonies were established around the Mediterranean basin and on the shores of the Black Sea, and Cyprus became increasingly Hellenized. For Roman art, the geographical limits coincide with the expansion of the Roman Empire. The department also exhibits the art of prehistoric Greece (Helladic, Cycladic, and Minoan) and pre-Roman art of Italic peoples, notably the Etruscans.