Greek Lucanian Terracotta Antefix of a Maenad

Magna Graecia, Southern Italy, probably Lucania, ca. 330 to 320 BCE. A mesmerizing terracotta antefix featuring the head of a Maenad in high relief with her wavy, unruly tresses bound in a topknot - framing her beautiful face with large, heavily lidded, almond-shaped eyes, a very naturalistic nose, parted lips as if she is singing or chanting, and smooth cheeks. Antefixes like this example were mold-made and almost always in the form of a male or female head. The ancients used antefixes to protect and conceal the terracotta tiles along the eaves of a roof, as well as to serve an apotropaic function and ward off bad influences. Size: 7.75" W x 7.75" H (19.7 cm x 19.7 cm); 9" H (22.9 cm) on included custom stand.

Maenads (also known as Bacchantes) were female followers of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and revelry (Roman: Bacchus). Literally translating to "the raving ones," Maenads were oftentimes depicted in Classical art as wild women who indulged in extravagant excesses of sex, violence, and intoxication.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; private American collection, 1980s; part of the pedigreed collection from the Aphrodite Sale; ex-European collection, Switzerland, 1980s

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#149170
Condition Report: Losses to peripheries as shown. Expected surface wear with nicks and abrasions commensurate with age, but the overall imagery is still strong. Earthen and mineral deposits grace the surface. Metal insert on verso for attaching to stand.