Terracotta statuette of woman with bird face. © The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Period: Late Cypriot II
Date: ca. 1450–1200 B.C.
Culture: Cypriot
Medium: Terracotta; hand-made
Dimensions: H. 8 3/16 in. (20.80 cm)
Classification: Terracottas
Credit Line: The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
Accession Number: 74.51.1542
Provenance: Said to be from Nicosia-Ayia Paraskevi.
The original caption reads:
This standing nude female figurine with arms bent and hands resting against the stomach is typical of coroplastic art of the Late Cypriot II and III periods. Characteristically, it has a birdlike face, large nose, and large pierced ears with earrings in clay. The pubic triangle is accentuated and the breasts are clearly shown, perhaps indicating that it is a fertility goddess. In this particular instance, the goddess is holding an infant. This type of figurine may be Syrian in origin; Cypriot sculptors, during this period, adopted the type and created their own variation.
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