Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History



  • Nude female with birdlike face holding an infant, ca. 1450–1200 b.c.; Late Cypriot II; Base-Ring Ware
    Cypriot; Said to be from Nicosia–Ayia Paraskevi
    Terracotta

    H. 8 1/8 in. (20.8 cm)
    The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874-76 (74.51.1542)

    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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    On view: Gallery 173
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    Nude female with birdlike face holding an infant, ca. 1450–1200 b.c.; Late Cypriot II; Base-Ring Ware
    Cypriot; Said to be from Nicosia–Ayia Paraskevi
    Terracotta

    H. 8 1/8 in. (20.8 cm)
    The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874-76 (74.51.1542)


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