Votive offering in the form of a breast

Made:
200-100 in Rome

Votive breast, terracotta, Roman, 200BC-100

Votive offerings were presented to a god, either in the hope of a cure or as thanks for one. They were made in the shape of the afflicted body part, in this case a breast.

Made from bronze or terracotta, as in this case, a large range of different votive body parts were made and offered up in their thousands. Although it originated in earlier cultures, this practice became very popular in Roman Italy – particularly between the 400s and 100s BCE.

Details

Category:
Classical & Medieval Medicine
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A635549
Materials:
terracotta
Measurements:
overall: 28 mm 36 mm, .02 kg
type:
votive breast
credit:
Loan, Wellcome Trust