Terracotta female figure

Unknown

ca. 1400–1300 BCE · Terracotta · Greek and Roman Art

Mycenaean statuettes of this type are named for their resemblance to the shape of the Greek letter phi (φ). Although highly schematic, phi figures are identified as female by the presence of long dresses and clearly defined breasts. Examples have been discovered in funerary, religious, and domestic contexts. Their symbolism is not clear, and their use probably varied according to circumstance. This example has a circular body completely covered with painted wavy lines, perhaps indicating folds of drapery. Breasts are indicated, although the arms are little more than bulges hanging down at the sides. Her face is pinched, with eyes applied as separate slips of clay.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1400–1300 BCE

Medium

Terracotta

Culture

Helladic, Mycenaean

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Fletcher Fund, 1935