Siren

Date: late 6th century BCE

Period: Archaic Period

Public Geography:Greece, possibly Attica or Boeotia region

Medium: Terracotta

Dimensions:

3 1/2 × 4 7/8 × 1 5/8 in. (8.9 × 12.4 × 4.1 cm)

Classification: 3-D Object/Sculpture

Object number: 1967-20 DJ

On view

The Menil Collection, Gallery 06, Room 601

DescriptionMold-made figure of a bird with a woman’s head, which is turned to the figure’s right. Figure rests on the tail of the bird and two small legs. The woman has long hair with tresses falling over each shoulder and may wear a diadem. Tail has a curved edge and slightly fans out. Minor chips and areas of surface lost. White slip and some painted details in black remain. Reddish-brown clay.

Essay

Sirens (seirenes) are half bird and half woman creatures that appear in multiple ancient myths, including the abduction of Persephone, the journey of Odysseus, and the travels of the Argonauts. Gifted with powerful voices, sirens would lure sailors to their deaths. Representations of sirens were popular across the ancient Mediterranean in paintings, ceramics, stone, and bronze. These depictions vary over time with different proportions of female and avian elements.

In this terracotta figure, said to be from Boeotia, the siren has the head of a woman and the full body of a bird. She turns her head to the right with tresses of long hair visible on either side of her face. She also wears a type of crown known as a diadem. White slip, still visible in large patches, covered the surface with additional details painted on top, such as an eye in black. The softness of the molded details, including her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, may be the result of the repeated use of the mold by the workshop to create a series.

Public Website: Yes

Movement/Period :

Archaic

Geographic Maker :

Greece