Statuette of an African
Date: Hellenisitic Greek, possibly Ptolemaic, about 150-50 BCE
Dimensions:
H: 10 1/4 in. (26 cm)
Medium: Bronze
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Purchased with funds given by Nancy and Gene Phlegar, Barbara J. Baker, and The Popplestone Family and with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 2010.5
Label Text:Africans appear frequently in the arts of ancient Greece. However, many of these images of Egyptians, Nubians, Ethiopians, Libyans, Berbers, and other ethnic groups represent them as conquered enemies or as slaves or entertainers. This dignified image must represent a famous man: perhaps a ruler, a general, or a victorious athlete.
DescriptionA youthful nude man stands with his weight supported on his left leg and his right leg bent at the knee and slightly turned outward, the right foot pulled back to rest on the ball of the foot with the heel raised. His right arm is raised, with the elbow bent, the palm open above his head. The left arm is lowered and held slightly behind his back. The long torso and legs are muscular but lean. The head is small but exquisitely modeled.
On view
In Collection(s)