Busacca Gallery

Beautiful Greek Terra Cotta Antefix in the Finest Classical Style, c. 5th Century BC. This exquisite Greek terra cotta antefix, dating to the 5th century BC, is a superb example of classical art from the ancient city of Taras (Latin: Tarentum), located on the inner southern coast of Italy’s heel. Founded around 708 BC by Spartan settlers, Taras was the most important Greek city in Southern Italy during the 5th and 4th centuries BC, until it surrendered to the Romans in 272 BC. Renowned for its exceptional art, Taras produced a famous series of silver coins featuring a naked boy riding a dolphin. Similarly, this finely modeled antefix—once adorning the edge of a significant building's roof—offers a rare and beautiful glimpse into the city’s classical grandeur. The piece portrays a youthful woman with noble and sensuous features that seem to gaze across the centuries, embodying the spirit and refinement of Western Civilization’s early ideals. She wears a detailed necklace, earrings, and a headband adorned with cow ears and horns. This may signify her role in a festival honoring a local river god—depicted as a bull with a human head—or she may represent Io, the maiden loved by Zeus and transformed into a heifer by Hera. Details: Dimensions: 20.8 x 18.3 x 7.6 cm (8.2 x 7.2 x 3.0 in.) Weight: ~1 kg (approx. 2.5 lb) Material: Hard-fired light yellow-brown terra cotta Provenance: From an old Toronto collection Display: Mounted on a custom walnut stand Reference: See Catalogue of the British Museum Collection, #1329 and #1330 for nearly identical examples from Taras (photocopy included) This antefix is a rare and important artifact—an enduring testament to the artistic brilliance and cultural depth of classical Greece.

This type of Greek art, exemplified by the terra cotta antefix from Taras, holds immense historical and artistic value due to its rarity, craftsmanship, and cultural significance. Created during the height of Classical Greek influence in Southern Italy, such pieces were not merely decorative but deeply symbolic, often linked to mythology, religion, and civic pride. The survival of terra cotta architectural ornaments from the 5th century BC is exceptionally rare, as their fragile nature makes them vulnerable to time and the elements. Each surviving example offers a rare glimpse into the aesthetics, beliefs, and technical mastery of ancient Greek artisans. The nobility and expression captured in this antefix highlight the Greeks' sophisticated approach to portraiture and symbolism, making it a highly prized artifact among collectors, historians, and institutions seeking to preserve the legacy of Western civilization’s artistic origins.