Ancient Figurative Sculptures

A collection of historic ceramic and terracotta figures from various cultures, featuring anthropomorphic shapes and themes, showcasing diverse artistic styles and historical significance.

Figure, 3rd-7th century, 12 5/8 in. (32.1 cm), Ceramic, pigment, Mexico, 3rd-7th century

Standing female figure, 6th-9th century, 7 x 5 1/16 in. (17.8 x 12.86 cm), Earthenware, Mexico, 6th-9th century

Boy Feeding a Parrot. India, West Bengal, Chandraketugarh region, 1st century B.C.. Sculpture. Terracotta

Figure, 3rd-7th century, 12 5/8 in. (32.1 cm), Ceramic, pigment, Mexico, 3rd-7th century

Guangala culture. Ceramic. Anthropomorphic figure. Regional development (500 BC-500 AD). Ecuador. Museum of the Americas. Madrid, Spain.

Seated figure. Culture: Chupicuaro. Dimensions: H. 5 3/16 in. (13.3 cm). Date: 3rd century B.C.-A.D. 4th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Water Deity (Chalchiuhtlicue) 15th-early 16th century Aztec The finely carved figure belongs to a sizable group of kneeling females that display costume elements identifying them as water deities called Chalchiuhtlicue ("she of the jade skirt") in Nahuatl, the language spoken by the Aztecs. In Aztec religion, the water goddess was the wife of the rain god Tlaloc, an ancient deity that had long been worshipped throughout Mesoamerica. Chalchiuhtlicue symbolized the purity and preciousness of spring, river, and lake water that was used to irrigate the fields. As a fertility goddess, she portrays the Aztec ideal of fertile young womanhood. Most typical of the water goddess costume is the distinctive headdress consisting of multiple thick bands, probably cotton, wound about the head and bordered above and below by rows of balls and two large tassels attached to the sides of the head. In back, the bands are twisted and tied in a prominent knot, the tasseled ends falling over her straight hai

Figure of Mother Holding Child 3rd-5th century Moche. Figure of Mother Holding Child 308536

Pre-Columbian art. Pre-Incan. Tumaco-Tolita culture. Region of the Pacific Colombo-Ecuadorian coast from 300BC-600 AD. Ceramic object. Clay human figure. 60 x 40 x 12 cm. From Ecuador. Private collection.

Figure of a Woman in Ceremonial Dress 700 CE-900 CE Southern Veracruz. In the afterlife, it was the role of deceased noble ancestors to communicate with the deified forces of nature on behalf of their people. Presented as offerings at ancestral shrines, mold-made figures of this kind were sometimes reshaped while the clay was still moist to give them more individualized facial features.. Ceramic . Veracruz, Classic

'Head of Kouros (fragment of a statuette)'. Cyprus, Second quarter - middle of the 6th century BC. Dimensions: h. 8 cm. Museum: State Hermitage, St. Petersburg.

Terracotta statuette fragment of a male votary 4th-3rd century B.C. Cypriot The figurine is handmade and solid, with a mold-made face. The nude, bearded figure is preserved to the hips, where it is broken diagonally from the rest of the figurine, which probably was a horse-and-rider group.. Terracotta statuette fragment of a male votary 241191

Ceramic figure depicting a Mayan priest 600-900 AD

Statue of Horus, Seated. Egypt, Probably Greco-Roman Period (332 BCE - 337 CE). Sculpture. Limestone

Statuette of Aphrodite, fragmentary 4th century B.C. Greek. Statuette of Aphrodite, fragmentary. Greek. 4th century B.C.. Terracotta. Late Classical. Terracottas

Pre-Columbian art. Tamalameque culture (200-600 / 16th century). Clay anthropomorphic figure. 79 x 24(diameter). From Colombia. Private Collection.

Standing Female Figure

Standing Male Figure. Mexico, Guerrero, Mezcala, 500 BCE-1000 CE. Stone. Stone

Limestone statuette of bearded Herakles late 6th or early 5th century B.C. Cypriot Herakles is in a walking position; the right arm is raised, the left detached from the body. He wears a belted kilt, with incised horizontal rows intersected by short vertical lines, that covers the abdomen and the legs.. Limestone statuette of bearded Herakles 242207

Figure, 100 BCE - 100 CE, 8 3/4 x 3 1/2 x 2 3/4 in. (22.2 x 8.9 x 7 cm), Serpentine, Mexico, 1st century BCE - 2nd century CE

Seated Goddess, 500s BC. Greece, 6th Century BC. Terracotta; overall: 17.2 x 6.5 x 7.9 cm (6 3/4 x 2 9/16 x 3 1/8 in.).

Standing female figurine (cruciform) 4th century B.C.() Cypriot The solid face and torso are mold-made, the arms and headdress handmade. The back is handmade and flattened. The crude, cruciform figurine is in a frontal pose.. Standing female figurine (cruciform) 241203

Figure Holding Child 4th-7th century Bahia The Bahía peoples on Ecuador's central coast continued the long tradition of ceramic figurine making. Begun in the region in the third millennium B.C., it persisted until the Spanish conquest in the sixteenth century. Bahía figurines are numerous and vary in style, size, and technique. Some are modeled by hand, others are made in molds. Still others are partially mold-made and partially hand modeled, as is the case here. The striking large, hollow figure made of thick clay depicts a seated woman with her short legs stretched out in front. She holds a small figure, perhaps an infant, as if presenting it. Broad-shouldered, she wears a simple necklace while her lower body is covered with a patterned skirt, and on her disproportionately large head is a caplike headdress. Small nose rings and ear ornaments embellish both figures. Yellow, red, white, and black paint was applied after firing.Bahía figures were probably part of ritual activity. An arc

Crouching Figure. Culture: Olmec. Dimensions: H. 10 3/8 x W. 5 1/4 x D. 6 1/8 in. (26.4 x 13.3 x 15.5 cm). Date: 10th-4th century B.C.. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Female Figure 3rd century B.C.-A.D. 4th century Chupicuaro. Female Figure 313163

Terracotta grotesque head 2nd-1st century B.C. Greek, Asia Minor Head of a grotesque with exaggerated features.. Terracotta grotesque head 252978 Greek, Asia Minor, Terracotta grotesque head, 2nd1st century B.C., Terracotta, H. 1 11/16 in. (2.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Anonymous Gift, 1928 (28.168.2)

Terracotta statuette of a nude woman ca. 600-480 B.C. Cypriot The figure derives from ancient Near Eastern counterparts associated with fertility. The Cypriot piece is more likely to represent a mortal worshipper than a divinity.. Terracotta statuette of a nude woman 241108

Ornamental Figure 6th-9th century Maya. Ornamental Figure 312818

Standing Male Figure. Mexico, Guerrero, Mezcala, 500 BCE-1000 CE. Stone. Stone

South American civilization. Quimbay civilization (Colombia). 500-1500. Anthropomorphic figure. 24 x 15 cm diameter. Private collection.

Standing female figurine of the "goddess with uplifted arms" type. Culture: Cypriot. Dimensions: H. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm). Date: ca. 600-480 B.C..The cylindrical body is handmade and solid. The entire figure shows considerable remains of paint. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

God Ganesha. Cambodia/Vietnam. Date: 601 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: 16.4 × 10 × 7.3 cm (6 3/8 × 3 15/16 × 2 7/8 in.). Sandstone. Origin: Cambodia. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Beardless male head wearing a helmet ca. 600-480 B.C. Cypriot This mold-made beardless head has a very prominent chin, a short mouth, and ridged eyelids.. Beardless male head wearing a helmet 241000

Standing Female Figure, c. 100 BC-AD 300. Mexico, Nayarit, Ixtlan del Rio style. Earthenware with colored slips; overall: 48 x 30.8 x 16 cm (18 7/8 x 12 1/8 x 6 5/16 in.).

Mingqi Barbaric offering. Terracotta with traces of polychromy. China, Tang dynasty. Paris, Cernuschi museum. Chinese art, barbarian, China, Tang dynasty, Mingqi, offering carrier, funeral statuette, terracotta, polychromy trace

Male Anthropomorph ca. 500 B.C.-100 A.D. Indonesia (Sulawesi). Male Anthropomorph 40075

Female Figure 12th-14th century Chancay After the influence of Wari waned, several ceramic styles evolved on the Pacific coast that emphasized mass production and the fabricating use of molds and stamps. In the valleys north of Lima, the Chancay people produced ceramics that are very distinctive in form and decoration. Painted predominantly in dark brown-black on white, the ceramics appear sloppy by comparison with many earlier and contemporary styles. However, the spontaneity of the decoration, the restrained color scheme, and the often bold painting lend the Chancay wares considerable charm. In addition to vessels, Chancay potters produced ceramic sculptures of humans and animals. Human figures, often made in explicitly male-female pairs, originally must have worn clothing. These two could have been made in the same basic mold with specific anatomical and decorative details added by hand. Both figures wear the same round ear ornamentsthose of the female are biggerbut different head

Kneeling Female Figure. Culture: San Sabastìan. Dimensions: H. 5 7/8 x W. 3 1/2 in. (14.9 x 8.9 cm). Date: 2nd century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Terracotta vessel with human figure in relief from Jama-Coaque, 1st-2nd century B.C.

Figure 6th-9th century Remojadas. Figure. Remojadas. 6th-9th century. Ceramic, pigment. Mexico, Mesoamerica, Veracruz. Ceramics-Sculpture

Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838-1902). "Arm without arm". Terracotta, between 1889 and 1898. Museum of Fine Arts of the city of Paris, Petit Palais. Protection mask, metallurgy, metallurgist worker, puddler, without arms, terracotta, view face

Cornerstone or Corbel (), 400s. Egypt, Coptic Period. Limestone; overall: 24.5 x 17.8 x 15.3 cm (9 5/8 x 7 x 6 in.).

Female Figurine, AD 300-600. Mesoamerica, Veracruz, Huastec, Panuco Style. Ceramic, pigment; overall: 10.6 x 0.5 x 1.9 cm (4 3/16 x 3/16 x 3/4 in.). Clay was a major medium in ancient Veracruz, located on Mexicos Gulf Coast, and artists used it to create huge quantities of sculpture ranging from small whistles and figurines like this one to impressive, life-size figural effigies. Meanings are often obscure, but small objects were important enough to have been deposited in tombs and buried offerings.

Limestone statuette of a beardless male votary with a wreath of leaves 6th-5th century B.C. Cypriot Male figure with crown of leaves, holding bird and incense box.. Limestone statuette of a beardless male votary with a wreath of leaves. Cypriot. 6th-5th century B.C.. Limestone. Archaic-Classical. Stone Sculpture

Female Figure

Mold-Made Female Figure

Female Figure, c. 800 BCE - 100 CE, 8 7/8 x 5 3/8 x 3 11/16 in. (22.5 x 13.7 x 9.4 cm), Terra cotta, Colombia, 9th century BCE - 2nd century CE

Figure. Culture: Veracruz. Dimensions: H. 8 1/4 x W. 2 5/8 x D. 2 1/4 in. (21 x 6.7 x 5.7 cm). Date: 7th-10th century.The modern state of Veracruz lies along the Mexican Gulf Coast, north of the Maya lowlands and east of the highlands of central Mexico. Culturally diverse and environmentally rich, the people of Veracruz took part in dynamic interchanges between the three regions that over the centuries included trade, warfare, and migration. During the middle centuries of the first millennium, the artistically gifted Veracruzanos created particularly inventive ceramic sculpture in diverse yet related styles. Each of these three standing figures is unique, but they share many details: the curled hair (or hats with curls) with traces of white coloring, the barlike chest ornaments, the projecting ear ornaments, and the elaborate belts or loincloths. The wide mouths are open to show off sparkling teeth that have been blackened with hematite crystals, which are rare on Veracruz ceramic fig

Standing Female Figure 100 B.C.-A.D. 400 Nayarit. Standing Female Figure 310060

Mexico.Mexico D.F.Museo Nacional de Antropologia.Figura de ceramica,influencia de la cultura Oaxaca en la de Teotihuacan.Cultura de Teotihuacan.

Cycladuc culture. Female figurine. Type folded-arm. C. 2700-2500 BC. Marble. Keros island. Cyclades. Greece,.

Seated female figurine. Culture: Cypriot. Dimensions: H. 6 5/8 in. (16.8 cm). Date: ca. 600-480 B.C..The figurine is mold-made and hollow, with a vent at the back. Her flat body is rendered very abstractly, showing only a stiff double outline at either side. Her drapery is flat and plain, without folds. Her arms are not rendered. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Female Figure 500 BCE-300 BCE México. Ceramic and pigment . Chupícuaro

Figurine 300 CE-500 CE Teotihuacán. Greenstone . Teotihuacan

Model Boat Owner, 2040-1648 BC. Egypt, Perhaps Meir, Late Dynasty 11 to early Dynasty 12. Painted wood; overall: 17.2 x 7.5 x 8.1 cm (6 3/4 x 2 15/16 x 3 3/16 in.).

Inca vase with a mythological drawing. Inca art. Ceramics. PERU. Lima. National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History.

Aztec Stone Statue, Durango, New Mexico, USA, North America

Figurine of a Crouching Woman, 900-800 BC. Phoenician, Syria, Arslan Tash, 9th-8th century BC. Ivory; overall: 3.6 cm (1 7/16 in.).

Terracotta statuette of a woman playing the tambourine ca. 600-480 B.C. Cypriot The figurine, in the Kamelarga style, has a wheel-made, hollow cylindrical body, flaring at the bottom.. Terracotta statuette of a woman playing the tambourine 241236

Handle Spout Vessel in the Form of Blind Man Holding a Cup Made 100 BCE-500 CE Peru. Ceramic and pigment . Moche

Limestone statuette of a temple boy late 5th or early 4th century B.C. Cypriot Crouching temple boy with dedication to Apollo.. Limestone statuette of a temple boy 241864

Female's bust of votive use. Punic style. Terracotta. 6th century BC. From the Sanctuary of Illa Plana, Ibiza. Archaeological Museum of Barcelona. Spain.

CoffinFinial

Female Figurine 500 BCE-400 BCE Tlatilco. Ceramic and pigment . Tlatilco

Limestone statuette of a male votary with Cypriot shorts and a diadem early 6th century B.C. Cypriot Male figure with Cypriot loin-cloth and a row of curls below frontlet.. Limestone statuette of a male votary with Cypriot shorts and a diadem 242173

Goddess Durga Slaying the Buffalo Demon (Mahishasuramardini). India; Uttar Pradesh, Mathura. Date: 101 AD-200 AD. Dimensions: 14.1 x 9.6 x 6 cm (5.6 x 3.8 x 2.4 in.). Molded terracotta. Origin: Mathura. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Human figure, possibly male ca. 3300-3100 B.C. Predynastic, Naqada III. Human figure, possibly male. ca. 3300-3100 B.C.. Ivory. Predynastic, Naqada III. From Egypt

Stela. Sandstone. 6th century BC. Necropolis of Villaricos, Grave 521. Almanzora, Almeria, Spain. Decorated with figure with an Egytian headdress. Phoenician. National Archaeological Museum, Madrid. Spain.

Limestone statuette of a male votary (worshipper) mid-6th century B.C. Cypriot The figure wears a conical helmet, the crest of which falls to the back.. Limestone statuette of a male votary (worshipper) 242086

Figurka kapłanów niosących naos z bogiem Serapisem. unknown, author

Guardian lion mid-6th century China One of a pair, this fierce guardian lion bares his fangs, crouches, and grips the platform underneath him with splayed claws. Pairs of stone lions have been found protecting Han-dynasty tombs (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) and they became more prevalent following the inclusion of lion iconography in Buddhist cave temples in northern China during the fifth and sixth centuries. Excavations of Northern Qi tombs have unearthed pairs of protective lions defending the entrance to the innermost chamber containing the coffin.This guardian lion's fully modeled body and rippling muscles is illustrative of Northern Qi sculpture, which was more rounded and naturalistic than the elongated and linear forms of the preceding Northern Wei (386-534) and Eastern Wei (534-550) dynasties. The stylized whorl pattern along the lion's shoulders is common on carvings in relief as well as sculptures in the round from this period. While the Northern Qi dynasty was brief and was supplante

Female Figurine. Huaxtec; Pánuco River Valley, northern Veracruz, Mexico. Date: 750 AD-1450. Dimensions: H. 24.5 cm (9 5/8 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Veracruz. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA. Author: Classic Veracruz.

Female Figurine. Tlatilco; Tlatilco, Valley of Mexico, Mexico. Date: 700 BC-600 BC. Dimensions: H. 7 cm (2 3/4 in.). Ceramic with pigment. Origin: Valley of Mexico. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Italy, Tuscany, Part of an acroterium (architectural ornament) representing a male head, from the second palace of Murlo, terracotta work

Upper Part of a Jar in the Shape of a Female Musician ca. 1479-1352 B.C. New Kingdom This womans head belonged to the upper part of a figure vase, a type of vase that became popular during the 18th Dynasty. Figure vases could represent servants and personal attendants, but the most popular type depicted kneeling women with children. Their iconography put the emphasis on private and everyday life, and it is believed that they could have served or entertained the deceased in the afterlife.. Upper Part of a Jar in the Shape of a Female Musician. ca. 1479-1352 B.C.. Pottery, paint. New Kingdom. From Egypt. Dynasty 18

FemaleFigure, ca. 12th-18thcentury, Terracotta, 9 1/4 × 3 5/8 × 2 1/4in. (23.5 × 9.2 × 5.7cm), Made in Guinea Coast, Ghana, Koma, 12th-18thcentury, Sculpture

Pre-Columbian art. Pre-Incan. Jama-Coaque Culture. 500 BC-1531 AD. From Ecuador. 68 x 33 cm (diameter). Male figurine. Stye chone. Private collection.

FIGURA DE HOMBRE CON SOMBRERO EN BARRO (ALFARERO "TITO"). Location: ALFARERIA. SPAIN.

Pre-Columbian pottery statuette of the Mayan god Mictantecuan. Artist: Unknown

Male Ancestor Figure, before 1930. Melanesia, Central New Ireland, Namatani District, 20th century. Limestone; overall: 28 cm (11 in.). Carved and painted chalk figures from New Ireland served as repositories for the spirits of deceased men and women during funeral rituals. After the ceremony, the figures were destroyed or discarded, allowing the spirits to join their ancestors.

Sandstone Cuman stone figures of men and women

Stone figurines of Cihuacoatl, Aztec Goddess of fertility, from Mexico. Dated 1400 BC

Limestone statuette of a boy 3rd quarter of the 5th century B.C. Cypriot Young votary in crinkled tunic.. Limestone statuette of a boy 242235

Biiking model - the main Ptolemy II; 285-246 BC ; Ptolemean period (-285-00-00--246-00-00);Ptolemy II (Lord of Egypt - 285-246 A.C.), Scene.gal.EG., Dar (provenance), kings, sculpture models

escultura antropomorfa, museo de la plaza central, Chichicastenango ,municipio del departamento de El Quiché, Guatemala, Central America.

figura femenina, Museo arqueológico de Ibiza y Formentera, Patrimonio de la Humanidad «Ibiza, biodiversidad y cultura», Ibiza, balearic islands, Spain.

Seated Female Figure 2nd century B.C.-A.D. 3rd century Colima. Seated Female Figure 312580

Sculpture depicting the goddess of fertility. Artifact originating from Mexico. Pre-Colombian Huasteca Civilization.

Figure with Incense Burner. Culture: Colima. Dimensions: H. 19 1/4 in. (48.9 cm). Date: 2nd century B.C.-A.D. 3rd century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Pipes, statue, angel, putti or amor with bow and arrow, sculpture footage earth discovery ceramic earthenware pipe earth, in mold formed baked Pipes image angel putti or amor with bow and arrow. Standing angel figure with wings Press seam of the molds is roughly cut away. On the angel's belly big thumb or handprint archeology native pottery adornment toy

Wooden anthropomorphic figure. There were idols and depictions of ancestors In the temples and shrines. Chimu culture. Late Intermediate Horizon (1000-1470 AD). Peru. Museum of the Americas. Madrid, Spain.

Ceramic Seated Female Figure. Culture: Carchi. Dimensions: H. 7 x W. 4 in. (17.8 x 10.2 cm). Date: 11th-16th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Acrobat. Mexico, Colima, 200 BCE-500 CE. Ceramics. Buff ceramic

Mingqi Guerrier ". Terre cash maints. Paris, musée drusks. Chinese art, Chinese ceramic, warrior, minqqi, statuette, funeral substitute, terracotta

Limestone statuette of a beardless male votary in Egyptianizing dress mid-6th century B.C. Cypriot Young votary in elaborately decorated tunic, belt, and kilt.. Limestone statuette of a beardless male votary in Egyptianizing dress 242209

Fragmentary terracotta statuette of a woman with a kithara 3rd century B.C. Greek, South Italian, Tarentine Fragmented upper body of a woman holding a kithara in her left arm.. Fragmentary terracotta statuette of a woman with a kithara 248714

Standing Female Figure. Unknown

Corbel with Crouching Male Figure ca. 1150-75 Central or Western French Corbels, projecting blocks used as structural supports, were an integral part of the sculpted decoration in nearly all twelfth-century churches. This crouching figure is reminiscent of the figure of Atlas from classical antiquity.. Corbel with Crouching Male Figure 466062

Ceramic figure from Maia, Portugal. Dated 7th Century

Figure, 200 BCE - 400 CE, 13 x 8 3/4 in. (33.0 x 22.2 cm), Ceramic, pigment, Mexico, 2nd century BCE - 5th century CE, This seated figure was one half of a male-female couple placed in a tomb to accompany the deceased in the afterlife. Female figures were typically shown holding serving vessels for food and drink, while male figures were depicted dressed for warfare or the ballgame, as in this example. This figure wears protective equipment and holds the hard rubber ball used in the Mesoamerican ballgame, associating him with the elevated class of ballplayers and warriors in Nayarit society. Naturally occurring rubber (hule) was in use in Mesoamerica by 1600 B.C., but it remained unknown outside the Americas before the Spanish Conquest that began in the late 15th century. As a material, rubber is dense and hard, thus the balls themselves could severely injure or even kill a player, furthering the associations between the ballgame and warfare. Modern team sports played with a ball such

Cigarsmoker. Artist: Unknown

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