Seated Goddess (Demeter?)

Tanagra figurines are named for the Boeotian town that was their primary production site. The figurines were mass-produced and sent to markets around the Hellenistic world. The potter created the piece by pressing terracotta clay into plaster molds. Often, several pressed pieces were joined together and could be mixed and matched to create a wider variety of models. The figures were covered in white slip before firing and were often painted afterwards. Today, little paint remains on most of the figurines, although traces of blue, yellow, and red remain on this figure. The figurines were used as votive offerings at temples and, based on the numbers found in tombs, were included in burials.

Although many Tanagra figurines depicted ordinary women—and occasionally men and boys—this sculpture reflects an earlier tradition of images of deities. This seated woman is probably Demeter, goddess of agriculture, in mourning for her daughter Persephone, who was lured to the underworld by Hades. Her garment, or peplos, bears remnants of vines, leaves, and palmettes, indicating her connection to nature. Her throne, with its elaborate finials, infers her divine status.