Terracotta statuette of an actor late 5th-early 4th century B.C. Greek Fourteen of these figures are said to have been found together in a burial in Attica. They are among the earliest known statuettes of actors and are superbly executed and preserved. Originally they were brightly painted. They document the beginning of standardized characters and masks, indicating the popularity not of a specific figure but of typesthe old man, the slave, the courtesan, etc.that appeared repeatedly in different plays. By the mid-fourth century B.C., Attic examples or local copies were known throughout the Greek world, from Southern Russia to Spain. Listen to experts illuminate this artwork's story Listen Play or pause #1089. Overview: Terracotta Comic Actors Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. We are working to make it available as soon as possible.. Terracotta statuette of an actor. Greek. late 5th-early 4th century