AN ATTIC TERRACOTTA OLD COMEDY ACTOR IN ROLE OF HERAKLES

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THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE COLLECTOR Provenance: the collection was formed in the late 1950s-1960s (lots 225-233).

AN ATTIC TERRACOTTA OLD COMEDY ACTOR IN ROLE OF HERAKLES

EARLY 4TH CENTURY B.C.

Details

AN ATTIC TERRACOTTA OLD COMEDY ACTOR IN ROLE OF HERAKLES
EARLY 4TH CENTURY B.C.
Standing with legs crossed, bow in his left hand, with lion skin tied at the neck, worn over a short padded tunic with attached phallus, bearded with thick curling hair, the furrowed brow and exaggerated mouth in manner of a mask, with red painted hair and traces of yellow on the cloak, mounted
3 1/8 in. (8 cm.) high

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Lot Essay

Herakles was one of the most popular figures in Greek theatre. For a fuller discussion of Comic actors and the role of Herakles, cf. R. Green and E. Handley, Images of the Greek Theatre, The British Museum, London, 1995, pp. 50, 60-61; and M. Bieber, The History of the Greek and Roman Theater, Princeton, 1961, p. 42, nos. 170 and 171.

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