South Italian Figurine: Dove

Inv. No.: 66.009
Provenance: South Italy (probably Sicily) (ex Woite collection)
Date: c. 5th century BC
Height: 39mm
Length: 81mm
 
A roughly shaped figurine of a bird with very little detail, a type of terracotta figurine that was very common in antiquity. The clay of this example is orange-red in colour. There are traces of white and red, indicating that details were probably originally painted on the surface, plus some surface incrustation. There is a repair at the neck, the beak is missing, the head is damaged, the tip of the tail is also missing, the surface is cracked and the bottom edge is chipped.

 

Function:
A votive offering or perhaps a toy.

Manufacture:
This figurine was probably partly mould-made and partly shaped by hand.

Bibliography:
Bell, M., III, Morgantina Studies, Volume 1: The Terracottas, Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton University Press, 1981, 98.

Kanowski, M.G., The Antiquities Collection, catalogue, Department of Classics and Ancient History, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, 1978, 48.

Comparanda:
Bell, M., III, Morgantina Studies, Volume 1: The Terracottas, Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton University Press, 1981, Plate 133, 883 (3^rd century BC example).

Green, J. R., Antiquities: A description of the Classics Department Museum in The Australian National University, Canberra, Canberra, The Australian National University, 1981, Inv. No. 66.40, p. 85 (similar dove; also probably from Sicily).

Higgins, R. A., Catalogue of the Terracottas in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum, second edition, London, British Museum, 1970, I (Plates), Plate 34, 183-186 (early 5^th century doves from Rhodes); see also Volume 1: Text (1969), 78.

Richter, G. M. A., The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Handbook of the Greek Collection, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1953, Plate 51, k (more finely modelled late Archaic pigeon sitting on a pomegranate).

Wielen-van Ommeren, F. van der, "Polychrome Vases and Terracottas from Southern Italy in the J. Paul Getty Museum", Greek Vases in the J. Paul Getty Museum, (Occasional Papers on Antiquities, 3), Malibu, The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2 (1985), Fig. 10 (pigeons; early 3^rd century BC).