Tanagras

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Human: Crafts experienced an explosion of growth during the Hellenistic age as the Greek world expanded, creating new markets for artisans to tap into and giving their employers unprecedented opportunities. The availability of precious materials like gold, silk, and ivory skyrocketed, and a surge in private wealth led to an insatiable demand for skilled craftsmen who could work with these luxurious materials. Alexandria, Egypt became synonymous with the production of high-end goods, including exquisite glass, faience, metalwork, and sculpture. Small-scale sculptures crafted from marble, bronze, and terracotta popped up all over the Hellenistic world, and some pieces even traveled great distances to reach new audiences, spreading innovative subjects and styles far and wide. It's often tough to pinpoint whether a particular small-scale sculpture was designed for sacred or secular use, as many similar objects have been found in tombs, sanctuaries, and private homes. During the Hellenistic period, an astonishing array of new terracotta figure types emerged, drawing inspiration from larger scale sculptures. These statuettes depicted the wealthy elite dressed in the latest fashions and still retain their vibrant original colors. They were mass-produced using a mold-making process, allowing for rapid repetition of popular designs, although sometimes unique attributes were added to give each piece some extra flair. These miniature masterpieces served both domestic and funerary purposes. The statuettes earned the nickname "Tanagras" due to the abundance of discoveries at Tanagra, a city in central Greece, but similar figures were crafted in workshops throughout the Mediterranean, with regional clay types helping to distinguish one workshop from another. Visit galleries 69 and 73 for more stunning examples of this type of statuette.