New Book on the Greek and Roman Terracottas of the Aegean: Antik Cagda Pişmis Toprak Figurinler Nasil Yapildilar? Ne Anlattilar? [Terracotta Figurines in Antiquity: How Were They Made? What Do They Reveal?]
Abstract
Terracotta figurines with their dimensions, materials, production techniques, and wide geographical distribution, stand out as some of the most significant carriers of social, cultural, and economic memory. Produced over approximately 5,000 years across almost every part of the ancient world, these figurines were not only objects of economic value but also visible representations of societies’ belief systems and cultural practices. Within this broad framework, this study focuses on the figurative terracottas of the ancient Aegean basin. This serves as a cultural and artistic bridge between the Greek mainland and Anatolia. Focusing on this region allows for a coherent analysis of stylistic and technological developments within a shared coroplastic tradition. This focus was chosen for methodological reasons, as the area presents a diverse, yet internally comparable, corpus of figurines that reflects both local and cross-regional artistic interactions. This approach ensures typological consistency and facilitates a clearer understanding of iconographic and production patterns within a defined cultural framework.
Index terms
Keywords:
Terracotta figurines, Aegean terracottas, terracotta typology, coroplastic production, trade and cultural exchange, coroplastic artFull text
1This book Antik Cagda Pişmis Toprak Figurinler Nasil Yapildilar? Ne Anlattilar? is structured as a comprehensive exploration of coroplastic art from the ancient Aegean beginning with its earliest manifestations in the Bronze Age to its flourishing in the Julio-Claudian period. The study opens with a general introduction that outlines the significance of terracotta figurines in ancient societies. This is followed by a history of scholarship, tracing early approaches in the scientific literature, the developments of the 20th and early 21st centuries with the emergence of new methodological perspectives, and the role of modern institutions and publications in shaping the field. Subsequent chapters focus on research methods and a detailed discussion of production processes. These include the choice of clay, the techniques employed, mold-making, firing practices, painting and color applications, and the organization of workshops. Special attention is paid to the role of the koroplathos — whether artist or craftsman — and the ways in which figurines circulated through trade and cultural exchange.
2From the most primitive handmade forms to the use of multi-part molds and derivative production, figurines occupy a position between art and craft, bearing the traces of both. The production method known as coroplasty —or the coroplast’s craft— entered the historical stage in full around the 7th century B.C.E., when the mold technique began to be systematically used in the Aegean world. This development allowed for the efficient production of a wide range of figurines, and the emergence of different iconographic types became directly proportional to the evolution of production techniques. These terracotta figurines were in use for nearly a millennium as a result of trade and played a key role in the transmission of religious and cultural traditions.
3The focus primarily is on the typological and iconographic examination of Greek and Roman terracotta figurines and approaches typological analysis within a diachronic framework. It traces the development of figurine production from the Late Bronze Age to the third century C.E. and addresses how period-specific differences are reflected in both technique and iconography. Figurine production, which reflected the ritual and symbolic needs of the Late Bronze Age to continue with simpler and more localized examples during the Early Iron Age, became enriched with the widespread use of molds in Archaic period. During the Classical period artisans working in clay explored current idealized and naturalistic forms, while in the Hellenistic period there was an embracing of the broad range of themes of the time, including those rooted in mythology, the theater, and daily life. In the Roman era, terracotta figurines reflect a fusion of traditional and local motifs, expressing diverse cultural identities. This book aims to systematically examine the typological evolution of terracotta figurines within these historical contexts.
4The sacred functions of figurines —among their most essential areas of use— are addressed in a separate chapter. Here, the divine representations depicted in figurines and their associated cultic contexts are systematically analyzed. The iconographic representations of deities such as Aphrodite, Artemis, Demeter, Kybele, Athena, Apollo, Dionysos, Eros, and Nike are studied alongside their mythological characteristics. The archaeological contexts of figurines —sacred precincts, temple surroundings, tombs, and domestic spaces— offer insights into their religious usage and votive functions. Figurines are thus evaluated as instruments of both personal piety and communal ritual practice. This section further explores how divine identities were made visible through symbolic imagery and how such representations were integrated into cultic performance.
5Underlying all these discussions is the fundamental research question: for what purpose, for whom, and as a representation of what were these figurines produced? While it is not always possible to answer these questions definitively given the contextual variety within which figurines are found, the conclusions reached remain insightful. Evaluating each group within its findspot and iconographic framework enables us to make reasonable inferences about their intended meanings. At the very least, it becomes possible to distinguish figurines that represent divine beings from those depicting individuals from everyday life. Although the geographic scope of this study is centered on the Aegean basin, relevant sections also incorporate the Eastern Mediterranean reflections and influences of coroplastic art, which spread widely during antiquity. The main production zones are considered in terms of the eastern and western shores of the Aegean Sea, and the principal coroplastic activities in these regions are examined in detail.
6The chronological framework begins with the earliest terracotta figurines in Aegean archaeology, and continues with the Late Bronze Age, examining Minoan and Mycenaean examples, their typology, cultic contexts, and symbolic meanings. The Early Iron Age chapter analyses figurines from numerous production centers, including Samos, Chios, Rhodes, Kos, and Attica, while presenting a typology that covers anthropomorphic, female and male figures, warriors, horsemen, zoomorphic types, and dolls.
7The Archaic period section discusses the essential elements of coroplastic production, including the Daedalic style, new stylistic tendencies of the 6th century B.C.E., and the iconographic repertoire of the period. Detailed attention is given to major production centers, such as Crete, Boeotia, Corinth, Attica, Argos, and the East Greek cities. The typological range extends from nude goddesses and korai to kouroi in Ionian dress, female protomai, symposiasts, warriors, and animals.
8The Classical period continues this trajectory, with chapters on production centers (Boeotia, Attica, Corinth, Delphi, Rhodes, Ionia, and Caria) and an expanded typology. Here we encounter clothed female figures, peplophoroi, hydrophoroi, kourotrophoi, temple boys, dancers, masks, articulated dolls, musicians, and representations of deities such as Cybele, Aphrodite, Apollo, and Athena.
9The Hellenistic period represents the golden age of coroplastic art. This part of the book investigates centers such as Tanagra, Myrina, Pergamon, Smyrna, and Priene. The typology includes the famous Tanagra figurines, grotesques, pathological types, Papposilenoi, masks, Baubo, dancers, figures drawn from daily life, epheboi, and divine representations—Cybele, Aphrodite, Eros, Nike, and Apollo Kitharodos. among them.
10A discussion of the Roman terracottas follows that focuses on the products of Tarsus, Myrina, Smyrna, and Pergamon as centers of production. Typologies include depictions of Eros/Putto (Cupid), Venus, Dionysos, Artemis, Herakles, gladiators, portraits and fashion figures, as well as mythological and allegorical types.
11A thematic section on clothing and accessories explores how garments, such as the peplos, chiton, and himation were represented, alongside dancers’ costumes, theatrical outfits, and hairstyles influenced by Roman empresses. Hair ornaments, headgear, such as the polos, stephane, and diadem, as well as veils, such as the kredemnon, sakkos, and bridal veils, are analyzed in detail.
12The penultimate chapter examines cult representations and cultic contexts. It surveys figurines of Aphrodite, Artemis, Demeter, Cybele, Athena, Apollo, Dionysos, Eros, Herakles, Tyche/Fortuna, and kourotrophic deities, as well as temple boys, female figurines, and protomai, highlighting their religious and ritual significance.
13Finally, the book closes with a conclusion that returns to the central questions: how were these figurines made, and — perhaps more importantly — what do they reveal about the beliefs, identities, and daily lives of the people who shaped and used them?
14This book Antik Cagda Pişmis Toprak Figurinler Nasil Yapildilar? Ne Anlattilar? [Terracotta Figurines in Antiquity: How Were They Made? What Do They Reveal?] currently available in Turkish, is intended to be released in English to reach a wider scholarly audience and to contribute to international research.
List of illustrations
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| Title | Fig. 1. Cover of the book Antik Cagda Pişmis Toprak Figurinler Nasil Yapildilar? Ne Anlattilar? |
| URL | http://journals.openedition.org/acost/docannexe/image/4546/img-1.jpg |
| File | image/jpeg, 245k |
References
Electronic reference
Elçin Doğan Gürbüzer, “New Book on the Greek and Roman Terracottas of the Aegean: Antik Cagda Pişmis Toprak Figurinler Nasil Yapildilar? Ne Anlattilar? [Terracotta Figurines in Antiquity: How Were They Made? What Do They Reveal?] ”, Les Carnets de l’ACoSt [Online], 25 | 2025, Online since 18 December 2025, connection on 14 May 2026. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/acost/4546; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/15eft
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