Lead figure of a goddess with an aegis, probably Athena

A small flat lead figure stands frontally in a long garment, one arm raised and the other bent at the waist, with snake-like coils rising beside the body. The figure is cast in a simple silhouette with incised lines for drapery. The surface is pitted and dark, and the piece sits centered against a pale neutral background.

Look closer: Small serpent coils curl around the lower body and legs, easy to overlook against the dark metal.

Artist

Unknown

Date

6th–5th century BCE

Medium

Lead

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

3000 × 4000 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of A. J. B. Wace, 1924