Action Figure Circa 350 BC

Posted in Identify Help

I checked out a couple of books on dolls from the local library recently, and both featured the same photo of this Greek articulated figure from 350 BC, which is probably made from clay:



While I knew there were dolls back then, I was surprised that they had moving parts (knees, but no hips, strikes me as a particularly odd design choice), as I thought that was a more recent evolution in toy design. Also, interestingly, when a Greek girl was to be wed (and I do mean girl, they were often married off in their very early teens), she traditionally "sacrificed" dolls like this one, and other childhood playthings, to the goddess Artemis.