A GROUP TERRACOTTA CROUCHING CHILDREN FROM FRANK CALVERT COLLECTION

Figurines of children crouching on the floor one knee bent up or both legs folded have been found in many parts of Greece and Anatolia, in sanctuaries, graves, and living quarters. The crouching posture was common in eastern, especially Egyptian art. It seems most probable that from there the type was introduced to the partly Phoenicia, Cyprus and to Rhodes, where the Phoenicians traded extensively. Consequently, in the sixth century the Egyptian type of the crouching child found its way to the Greek cities. According to the present evidences the earliest examples comes from Cyprus. Unlike the similars Cyprus type is sculptured in stone in a crude style instead of terracotta. Then the type reached the mainland from Rhodes, as the early examples from Corinth, Crete and Boeotia indicate. It eventually became quite popular. They appear from the begining of the sixth century B.C. to Late Hellenistic and Roman times. The problem of their typology and interpretation, as such statuettes are common finds in the sanctuaries of deities concerned with child-care, are discussed in some studies such as cult of Greek Kourotrophos. They were also found in graves certain cities at Troad. Hence examples of Troad should be interpreted as representations of the dead children put under the protection of the goddess.