Marble and limestone statue of an attendant

Unknown

late 4th or 3rd century BCE · Marble and limestone · Greek and Roman Art

This young woman held an object in her right hand, perhaps a fan. The statue was originally likely part of a funerary group of an aristocratic woman with her attendant that would have served as a tomb marker. It was not uncommon during the Hellenistic period in Southern Italy to carve the heads of significant commissions in imported marble and use local limestone for the bodies. The Greek city of Tarentum had a particularly distinctive sculptural tradition of limestone funerary monuments, other fragmentary examples of which can be seen in the nearby case for luxury arts of Southern Italy.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 4th or 3rd century BCE

Medium

Marble and limestone

Culture

Greek, South Italian, Tarentine

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Purchase, 2005 Benefit and Philippe de Montebello Funds; Spiro Latsis, Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Butler, Anonymous, James H. and Zoe Moshovitis, Dr. and Mrs. Roy Vagelos, Lewis M. Dubroff, Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick W. Beinecke, Cynthia Hazen Polsky, Jeannette and Jonathan Rosen, Annette de la Renta, Basil P. Goulandris, Andrés A. Mata, Joyce Frank Menschel, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ruddock, Shelby White, and James and Theodore Pedas Family Foundation Gifts, in honor of Mary Jaharis, 2015