The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 22, 2024

Nanny Goat

Nanny Goat

late 200s BCE
Overall: 30.5 x 31.1 cm (12 x 12 1/4 in.)
Location: 102C Greek

Did You Know?

This sculpture depicts a pregnant goat, which is extremely rare.

Description

Goats were among the earliest domesticated animals and figured prominently in Greek art and mythology since at least the 8th century BC. This example with its powerful stance, curly beard, and horns is not a ram but an expecting doe with swollen flanks. The subject is rare and its meaning unclear. Possibly she was part of a group dedication to a goddess. The sunken areas at the tail and hips and her open mouth, indicating heavy breathing, are signs that she is ready to give birth.
  • The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1991. Reproduced: p. 12 archive.org
    Kozloff, Ariellé P. "Notable Acquisitions." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 78, no. 3 (1991): 63-147. Mentioned: p. 68; Reproduced: p. 69 www.jstor.org
    Cleveland Museum of Art. The CMA Companion: A Guide to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2014. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 84
  • Notable Acquisitions. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 7-September 15, 1991).
    New York, Atlantis Gallery, Greek and Roman Art, June 20-July 20, 1990
    CMA, Notable Acquisitions, June 7 to Sept. 15, 1991.
  • {{cite web|title=Nanny Goat|url=false|author=|year=late 200s BCE|access-date=22 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1990.32