Height: 4 1/2" (11.5cm)
Material or Medium: Terra Cotta
Date of Origin: Hellenistic Greece - 3rd to 2nd Century BCE
Description: This is an interesting example of a favorite Hellenistic subject. The Eros figure appears to have been carefully molded at first: the facial features are very clear, the body is smooth and well-proportioned, and even the legs, with the left one bent as if raised on a stone or stool, are detailed. But there is a sloppiness about the rest. The left arm seems to be clutching something unidentifiable; the right arm is hidden by a cloak. There are fragmentary remains on the shoulders of what were probably wings. There are signs that the artist tried to repair a figure which had come out of the mold rather badly. The left shoulder, for example, is undetailed and even bears the fingerprint of the artist. And the left foot and what it is resting on are a complete disaster -- artistically speaking.