Statuette of a Draped Woman

The standing female figure wears a long chiton beneath a himation wrapped tightly around her body and pulled over the back of her head; her hair is covered by a folded head-cloth (sakkos). She rests her weight on her left leg, holds her left arm behind her hip, and her right arm across her chest. Traces of polychromy are preserved on the drapery and hair.

The city of Tanagra in northern Greece was a leading producer of terracotta figurines between c. 625 BC and 200 BC. Although examples have been found in sanctuaries as well as in domestic contexts, the majority were buried in tombs perhaps as attendants to the deceased. The Hellenistic period repertoire is dominated by representations of standing, draped women, of which this example is typical.