This is a stele, a carved piece of stone that was often put up, like a modern tombstone, when someone died. The one you see here, from ancient Greece, shows a young girl with her pet doves. It’s easy to see how sad the girl feels, and how much she loves her birds. The birds are obviously comfortable with her—one pecks her gently on the lips, and both seem content to stay in her arms.

The stele is made of marble, a smooth, hard stone that’s considered especially fine for carving sculpture. Here, the artist worked the marble with incredible skill. The girl’s robe falls in graceful folds, which have been carved so that you can see the way she’s standing. Try imitating her pose—her weight is on her right leg, and her left leg is bent. Her expression is serious, and the sculptor has captured a feeling of softness. Look at the hair falling gently down her back, and the tenderness with which she holds the birds. If someone made a carving of you, what would you be holding?