English
DonateMembershipTickets

Terracotta head and torso of a woman

late 5th–early 4th century BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 171
Terracotta figures such as this have traditionally been called dolls. Small-scale representations of human figures, mostly women, exist in a great variety of forms; they may have movable limbs, their limbs may be truncated as here, and they may have any number of attributes. Their role, therefore, certainly extended beyond child's play to rituals, the theater, and certainly the grave.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Terracotta head and torso of a woman
  • Period: Classical
  • Date: late 5th–early 4th century BCE
  • Culture: Greek, Attic
  • Medium: Terracotta
  • Dimensions: H. 4 13/16 in. (12.2 cm)
  • Classification: Terracottas
  • Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1926
  • Object Number: 26.60.49
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
More Artwork
Bell, Leaded bronze, Greek
Greek
3rd or 4th century BCE (?)
Terracotta figurine of a young woman with articulated arms seated on a chair, Terracotta, Greek, Attic
Greek, Attic
4th century BCE
Terracotta statuette of a woman, Terracotta, Greek, perhaps from Asia Minor
Greek, perhaps from Asia Minor
2nd century BCE
Cauldron attachment: bull's head, Bronze
ca. 7th century BCE
Terracotta limbless "doll", Terracotta, Greek, Attic
Greek, Attic
late 5th–early 4th century BCE

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.