Large numbers of pipe-clay figurines were made in Roman times. They were cheaper than bronze figurines. The front and back were made in separate moulds and then pressed together; the join is still visible along the side. This figurine was found at the Roman fort of Matilo in the Roomburg district near Leiden. It represents a semi-nude woman, who is holding in her left hand a pot from which water is flowing. She represents a water nymph, or possibly the goddess Venus, who is said to have been born from water and foam. The figurine was made in the vicinity of Cologne.
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