Standing male lyre player
Unknown Artist
ca. 600–480 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H. 4 1/4 in. (10.8 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
74.51.1688
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming terracotta figurine, *Standing Male Lyre Player*, just 4¼ inches (10.8 cm) tall and dates to the Cypro-Aric II period (ca. 600–480 BCE). Crafted by an unknown Cypriot artist, it depicts a male musician poised with a lyre, a string instrument central to ancient performances. Such small-scale terracottas were likely votive offerings dedicated at sanctuaries or placed in tombs, reflecting everyday life and religious devotion on the island of Cyprus, a cultural crossroads blending Greek, Near Eastern, and Egyptian influences. Terracotta, fired clay molded and often hand-finished, wa...