Ancient Greek Terracotta Large protome bust of the goddess Demeter

Large Greek terracotta protome depicting Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, with a beautifully-modeled face and her hair in a diadem headdress. She holds a small piglet to her bust and a torch in one hand, which is symbolic of her search for her daughter Persephone. Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, was abducted to the underworld by Hades. The worship of Demeter and Persephone included a mystery cult, particularly popular among women, which had its most important centre at Eleusis, northwest of Athens. Each initiate to the cult of Demeter was obliged to sacrifice a small pig at the beginning of the celebration of the Greater Eleusinian Mysteries. A protome is a type of bust made by pressing a thin layer of terracotta into a single mold. Most protomes of gods were used as votives (gifts to the gods) and hung on the walls of shrines or temples. Time period: ca. 7th to 5th century BCE Dimensions: 30 cm high - 24 cm wide 34 cm high on included custom stand. Condition: very good Repaired from three large original pieces with restoration over the break lines. Provenance: US auctionhouse Former private NYC collection. Ex. Wagner collection, MA. , 1970s. See pictures from the auction catalogue. Guaranteed authentic. The seller can prove that the lot was obtained legally, provenance statement seen by Catawiki. Important information. The seller guarantees that he is entitled to sell/export this lot. The seller will take care that any necessary permits, like an export license will be arranged. The seller will inform the buyer about the status of it if this takes more than a few days.