HELLENISTIC PERIOD, CIRCA 3RD-2ND CENTURY B.C.

The emaciated nude hunchback figure is depicted with his left leg crossed over his right, and his genitalia swinging out behind. His arms are raised in front, with fists clenched around now missing attributes. His head is turned to the left, with silver inlaid eyes, and his hair is tied in a knot at the back with a central knobbed diadem.

Grotesque figures are often associated with depictions of mimes, who would perform character roles without masks during the Hellenistic period. Comedy skits during this time often involved dwarfs and physically deformed figures for shocking yet comedic effect. For further discussion of grotesques, see A. Kozloff and D. Mitten, The God's Delight: The Human Figure in Classical Bronze, 1988, no. 28, p. 166.