Figurine of an Actor

Figurine of an Actor

TERRACOTTA

A standing figure of an old man actor, a stereotypical figure of Middle Comedy. His hands are on his hips, and his weight is carried on his right leg while his left leg steps slightly forward. His face is a variant of the old man mask type with a wide mouth, snub nose and curved brows. He wears the usual costume of a slave: an exomis (a tunic that covers only one shoulder), tights and a padded stomach plus phallus. The more unusual feature is the polos on his head; this head-dress is usually worn by priests or goddesses suggesting that he is parodying such a figure. There is a narrow rectangular base, slightly concave on its lower surface and chipped at the rear. The clay is brown with traces of white, pink and black.

Aegean

Greek

Classical

Purchased from Charles Ede Ltd, London, 1981.

425 - 375 BC

81.001

Greece

Boeotia