Modeled from a small terracotta plaque, this figurine belongs to a large group of statuettes known as “pappadès”, because of their polos (a high cylindrical hat) that makes them look like Orthodox priests.
The statuette depicts a standing man, with a mask, which characterizes him as an actor. He is dressed in a large cloak. As it is usually the case at that time for terracotta examples, our figurine was molded in two parts, the front and the back.
Grotesque Terracotta Head (perhaps a Mime or an Actor)
This male head is cut straight under the neck. It is hollow and would have been molded in a bivalve mold. The face shows the exaggerated and archetypal features of the Greek-Roman images known as “grotesque”.