Monkey playing harp

Unknown (Hellenistic)


Item type:
sculpture
Date of creation:
1st-2nd century BCE
Height:
11.3 cm  (4 7/16 in.)
Technique / Medium:
terracotta; painted
Place of creation:
Cyrenaica (historical region)

    Item location

  • British Museum
    Greek & Roman Antiquities[Museum inv. no.: 1856,1001.53]

Description

Terracotta figure of monkey playing harp, shown in profile to the right, his head turned to face the viewer, sitting on high block draped with cloth or himation, sitting haunched over the harp that he hugs close to the body, wearing thick stippled wreath. Coarse brown to brick red clay (with shell inclusions); white coating, red swags on base, yellow on frame of harp, brown on fur.

Iconclass

29A
animals acting as human beings

Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)

Harp [3285]

RIdIM images


Image URLs

image link 1

RIdIM record id

5328