Statuette of a Black African Person

100–50 BCE

Greece, Greco-Roman Period, late Ptolemaic Dynasty

Medium

bronze, solid cast, with silver and copper inlays

Measurements

Overall: 18.4 x 5.3 x 7.2 cm (7 1/4 x 2 1/16 x 2 13/16 in.)

Credit Line

Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 1963.507

You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Location

102C Greek

Did You Know?

The intentionally dark patina contrasts with the inlaid silver eyes and copper lips.

Description

Characterized as a Black African person by his hair, facial features, and unusually dark patina, this figure wears a non-Greek type of hat and a simple garment associated with lower classes. His stooped posture suggests that he may have a physical disability, something rarely depicted in Greek art. His right foot and right hand (with bowl) are modern restorations done before the statuette came to Cleveland, perhaps in the 1800s.