The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 9, 2026

A light tan terracotta sculpture depicts a woman's head with dark gray patches and a matte surface. Her lips curve faintly upward below blank, almond-shaped eyes and a straight nose. She wears a thick, rounded headband topped by a wide, fan-like crown. On either side of her face, flat panels of hair or fabric drape down. The head is fragmented at the base.

Woman's Head with Crown

500s BCE

Greece, Sicily

(?)
terracotta
Overall: 15.8 cm (6 1/4 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1926.516
Location: 102D Pre-Roman

Did You Know?

In ancient Greek sculpture, a wide crown often denoted a matron deity like Hera or Demeter.

Description

This terracotta sculpture depicts a woman with a wide headdress that is partly broken off. Her face is rendered in an Archaic style, with her mouth and eyes in low relief and her lips lifting upward in a serene smile. Originally, details such as the eyes and decoration on the headdress would probably have been painted on the surface of the sculpture.
  • {{cite web|title=Woman's Head with Crown|url=false|author=|year=500s BCE|access-date=09 May 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1926.516