Tanagras

Crafts flourished in the Hellenistic age, as the expansion of the Greek world opened new markets to artisans and their employers. Precious materials such as gold, silk, and ivory were more readily availabe, and an increase in private wealth created a new demand for skills in working them. Alexandria in Egypt became renowned as a centre of the production of luxury goods, including fine glass, faience, metalwork and sculpture. Small-scale sculpture in marble, bronze and terracotta was made throughout the Hellenistic world. Some pieces might travel far from their place of manufacture and so promote the wide circulation of new subjects and styles. It is often difficult to say whether a particular small-scale sculpture was designed for sacred or secular use: very similar objects have been found in tombs and sanctuaries, or decorating private houses. During the Hellenistic period many new types of terracotta figures were created, many of them inspired by larger scale sculptures. These statuettes represented the wealthy elite, dressed in the latest fashions, and many still preserve their bright, original colours. They were mould-made, so types could be repeated, although sometimes different attributes were added for variety. They served both a domestic and funerary function. The statuettes were nicknamed 'Tanagras' because many examples were discovered at Tanagra, a city located in central Greece, but such figures were made in workshops all over the Mediterranean; the type of clay helps distinguish one regonal workshop from another. See galleries 69 and 73 for other examples of this type of statuette.手工艺在希腊化时代（Hellenistic Age）迎来蓬勃发展期——随着希腊世界的扩张，工匠及其雇主得以开拓全新的市场。 黄金、丝绸、象牙等贵重材料的获取愈发便利，私人财富的累积亦催生了对相关加工技艺的全新需求。 埃及亚历山大城成为奢侈品生产的核心枢纽，其产品涵盖精美玻璃器、珐伊陶器、金属制品与雕塑作品。 希腊化世界全域均有大理石、青铜与赤陶材质的小型雕塑产出。 部分作品可能远离原产地流通，由此推动了全新创作题材与艺术风格的广泛传播。 通常难以判定某件小型雕塑是用于宗教祭祀还是世俗用途：形制极为相近的器物曾在墓葬、圣所及私人住宅装饰中均有发现。 希腊化时期诞生了诸多新型赤陶人像，其中不少的创作灵感源自大型雕塑作品。 这类赤陶小雕像以身着最新时尚服饰的富裕精英阶层为表现主题，其中许多至今仍保留着鲜亮的原始色彩。 它们采用模制工艺制作，因此同一款式可批量复制，不过有时也会添加不同的附属特征以丰富品类多样性。 这类小雕像兼具居家陈设与丧葬陪葬的双重功能。 这类赤陶小雕像被统称为‘塔纳格拉像（Tanagras）’，因大量标本出土于希腊中部的塔纳格拉（Tanagra）城而得名，但这类造像的制作工坊遍布整个地中海区域；通过分析陶土品类，可区分出不同地区的工坊。 可参阅第69、73号展厅以获取此类小雕像的其他范例。