Clay figurine (Tanagraia)

They date to the Hellenistic period, from the second half of the 4th until the 1st c. BC. Their style and evolution were strongly influenced by developments in contemporary sculpture, and more specifically the turn towards realism which is attested in the 4th c. BC. By that time, artists started to move away from the idealized models of early Classical art and turned to the portrayal of figures with individualized features that could convey the inner psychological state.

This, in combination with the improved social position of women in the Hellenistic period (336-31 BC), brought about a new ideal of female beauty which was more focused on sensuality.