Object Description
A Greek terracotta figurine of a seated man depicted with his hands on his knees and with his feet protruding from the long robe he is wearing.
The figurine’s facial features, such as eyes, lips, nose and eyebrows, are emphasised by a delicate painting. Traces of the original pigmentation of a bright pink, yellow and white colour are visible on the figure’s body, face and hair. All Greek sculptural production was originally polychrome. Few examples of statues and statuettes have come down to modern times in their original condition with their polychromy intact.
The young man is shown wearing a Phrygian cap. The Phrygian cap was a soft conical cap with the top pulled forward, associated in ancient times with peoples in Eastern Europe and Anatolia, including Phrygia, Dacia, and the Balkans.
In ancient Greek culture the Phrygian cap came to be applied to several other non-Greek-speaking peoples, “barbarians” in the classical sense.
Period: 4th – 3rd century BC