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Female figurine

India, Patna, Bihar

3rd–2nd century BCE

Not on view

These clay figures emerge during a moment when northern India was reveling in its cosmopolitanism, built on trade, diplomacy, and marriage alliances under Mauryan rule. The refined and unparalleled style of these figurines and their localized discovery point to them as objects of beauty for the enjoyment of an urban elite centered at the Mauryan capital of Pataliputra.

Female figurine, Clay, India, Patna, Bihar — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Female figurine, Clay, India, Patna, Bihar

Female figurine, Clay, India, Patna, Bihar

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Female figurine

Period: Maurya

Date: 3rd–2nd century BCE

Culture: India, Patna, Bihar

Medium: Clay

Dimensions: Overall (with mount): H. 7 in. (17.8 cm); W. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm); D. 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm)

Classification: Sculpture

Credit Line: Lent by Bihar Museum, Patna

Rights and Reproduction: Photo by Theirry Ollivier

The Met

Asian Art at The Met

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world.