Miniature Throne

Unknown

1425–1100 B.C.

Terracotta

J. Paul Getty Museum

A small, three-legged terracotta stool or miniature throne is decorated with dark brown, feather-like patterns on a light tan background. This miniature terracotta throne probably once held a seated figure, now missing. Archeologists have found seated figures of women, probably meant to represent enthroned goddesses, at many Mycenaean sites. Sometimes the figure and the throne were made as one piece; in other instances, as here, the figure and the throne were made as two pieces and became separated over the millennia. These miniature thrones take two forms: one with a solid back, as seen here, decorated with a vertical herringbone pattern, and the other with a latticework back. All these miniature thrones have three legs, which some scholars assume has religious signi