ostracon ancient art
catalogue

East-Greek Potbellied Dwarf, Archaic Period, 530-520 BC

Naked dwarf standing in squat position and holding his hands in front of the belly. The head with big almond-shaped eyes, thick nose and nice archaic smile.

This kind of paunchy dwarf figurine is thought to be inspired by the dwarf god Paitakos, the Egyptian patron of children.

For a Rhodian example cf. S. Mollard-Besques, Catalogue Raisonné des Figurines et Reliefs en Terre-Cuite (1954) 38 fig. B221.

Superb modeling. Feet, rectangular plinth and rear missing. Along the chest on the right a small application that could represent the feet of a child once sitting on the dwarf’s shoulder.

H. 4.9 cm (1.9 in)
H. with acrylic plinth 15.3 cm (6 in)

German art market

680 USD