Large statue; Canosa, Southern Italy, 3rd century BC.

Large statue; Canosa, Southern Italy, 3rd century BC.
Terracotta.
Includes thermoluminescence analysis.
Remains of polychromy.
Measurements: 33 x 11 x 9 cm.
Female figure in terracotta, from the ceramic tradition of Canosa (southern Italy), is an outstanding example of Hellenistic funerary sculpture produced in Magna Grecia between the fourth and third centuries B.C. It is a large format piece, made by mold, which represents a standing woman in contrapposto posture, a characteristic resource of classical art that brings naturalism, balance and dynamism to the figure.the composition shows the figure supporting the weight on the right leg while the left appears slightly bent, generating a subtle body movement. She wears a long chiton and a himation arranged in a fluid and enveloping manner, whose treatment of the folds reveals the influence of late-classical Greek sculpture in Canosa's artisanal production. The head, slightly turned to the left, has its hair tied back in a small ponytail, a detail that adds intimacy and delicacy to the whole.
The gesture of the arms contributes decisively to the meaning of the work: the left arm rests on the hip in akimbo position, while the right hand is placed at the level of the pubis, covering it and holding the mantle. This gesture of demure, frequent in Hellenistic female iconography, suggests a representation of idealized character, possibly linked to the funerary sphere, where these figures functioned as offerings or symbolic elements associated with the transition between life and death.
One of the most outstanding aspects of the piece is the preservation of traces of original polychromy, with traces of pink and blue pigments on the surface. These chromatic traces confirm that the ancient sculpture was not conceived as a monochrome object, but as a vividly colored figure, which increases its historical value and evocative capacity.
This terracotta from Canosa is part of an artistic tradition that combines formal refinement, expressive sensitivity and symbolic function. Its execution by mold suggests a relatively standardized production, although each specimen presents variations that make it unique. For its aesthetic quality, its state of preservation and the presence of original polychromy, the piece is an exceptional testimony to the Hellenistic funerary art of southern Italy and the sophistication reached by the choroplastics of the time.