Female ring dancer
Unknown Artist
5th–4th century BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H. 6 3/8 in. (16.2 cm)
Classification
Terracottas
Culture & Period
Cypriot · Cypro-Classical
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
Accession Number
74.51.1651
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming terracotta figur, titled *Female Ring Dancer*, hails from ancient Cyprus during the Cypro-Classical (5th–4th century BCE). Standing just 6 3/8 inches (16.2 cm) tall, it captures a lively female figure in mid-performance, gracefully holding rings in her hands—a pose evoking the rhythmic dances central to Cypriot rituals and celebrations. Crafted by an unknown artist, it now resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Greek and Roman Art Department part of the renowned Cesnola Collection acquired in the 1870s. Terracotta, a fired clay medium, was ideal for such small-scale sculptu...