Standing female lyre player
Unknown Artist
ca. 600–480 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H. 6 9/16 in. (16.7 cm)
Classification
Terracottas
Culture & Period
Cypriot · Cypro-Archaic II
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
Accession Number
74.51.1672
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming terracotta figurine, *Standing Female Lyre Player*, hails from ancient Cyprus during the Cypro-Archaic period (ca. 600–480 BCE). just 6 9/16 inches tall it captures a graceful woman poised with a lyre, her arms elegantly arched as if mid-performance. Crafted in terracotta—a fired clay medium favored for its affordability and durability—this small sculpture likely served as a votive offering in sanctuaries or a decorative item in homes, reflecting everyday artistry in a culture at the crossroads of Greek, Near Eastern, and Phoenician influences. The figurine's depiction of a fema...