The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of May 14, 2024
Dancing Eros
300–200 BCE
Overall: 29 cm (11 7/16 in.)
Location: not on view
Did You Know?
Figurines of Eros are often paired with figurines of his mythological wife, Psyche.Description
The region of Myrina in Asia Minor (now part of modern Turkey) is known for its abundance of ancient terracotta figurines. Eros, the Greek god of love, was especially popular. Here he is depicted as a nude youth, not a small child. Eros’ extra-long legs and arms, though only partially preserved, are thrown about in a carefree dance. He wears a celebratory floral crown atop his long curls. Once probably fully painted, only traces of red pigment survive on the face. A figurine like this one may have been a votive or thank-offering to Eros or Aphrodite, his mother, also a goddess of love, for a successful marriage.- “A Myrina Figurine.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 1, no. 4 (1915): 1–1. Mentioned: p. 1 www.jstor.org
- Inaugural Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (co-organizer) (June 6-September 20, 1916).
- {{cite web|title=Dancing Eros|url=false|author=|year=300–200 BCE|access-date=14 May 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1915.1