Statuette of a Seated Comic Actor

Made in a two-piece mold, this terracotta statuette depicts a comic actor from the Greek theater. Sitting cross-legged on an altar, the actor holds his right arm close to his body and raises his left hand to his chin in a "plotting" gesture. He wears a short tunic with sleeves and belt, a short cloak, a section of which hangs below the left shoulder, and T-strap sandals. His mask has a short shovel-shaped beard accentuating the broad, grinning mouth, and his thick hair is brushed back from the forehead in a sort of pompadour. The costume and mask characterize the figure as a slave, and the runaway slave taking sanctuary at an altar was a stock character in Greek comedy of this time. Statuettes of actors were popular in ancient households, and are regularly found in burials in Southern Italy and Sicily.