Hellenistic Greek Terracotta Miniature Group of Wrestling Erotes

Greece, Hellenistic period. A miniature mold-made terracotta group of two winged erotes locked in a wrestling match. They grapple chest to chest, arms hooked around each other's shoulders and torsos, legs braced wide as each tries to throw the other. Their wings fan out above the struggle and form a lively, jagged outline over the plump, childlike bodies. One boy pushes his round, curly head into his opponent's shoulder, a move any palaestra coach would know. The pair stand on a low rectangular plinth with a molded stepped base, and a triangular vent is cut into the back, as on most hollow mold-made figurines. The pinkish buff clay holds traces of a pale surface. With its playful mock combat, the group likely served as a votive, a grave offering, or a small domestic ornament. The Hellenistic period multiplied Eros into a crowd of erotes: chubby winged boys who took over the imagery of everyday life, playing knucklebones, driving chariots, hunting, and wrestling. Two erotes grappling may recall the old pairing of Eros and Anteros, love and love returned. Pausanias (6.23.5) describes a relief in the gymnasium at Elis in which Eros holds a palm branch while Anteros tries to wrest it from him. The motif fit naturally with the athletic culture of the gymnasium, where images of Eros were set up alongside those of Hermes and Herakles. Coroplasts in workshops such as Myrina, Smyrna, and Tanagra turned these subjects into small figures pressed from molds, which collectors of the day prized for their charm and movement. Item # 205608

Estimate:$500

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