Votive right hand
- Made:
- 400 BCE-200 CE in Italy
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LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
License
Science Museum Group Collections
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London
Science Museum Group Collections
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London
Votive right hand, terracotta, hollow with open base, probably Roman, 400BC-200AD
Votive offerings are those left in sacred places to ask for, or express gratitude for, healing. They are often made in the shape of the affected body part. Some are bespoke pieces, cast in expensive metals such as bronze. Others are mass-produced from cheaper materials such as terracotta and wax. Although it originated in earlier cultures, the phenomenon thrived in Ancient Roman Italy between 400 and 100 BC. It persists today in many faiths, including Christianity and Hinduism.
Details
- Category:
- Classical & Medieval Medicine
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A73036
- Materials:
- terracotta
- Measurements:
-
overall: 213 mm x 90 mm x 59 mm, .52 kg
- type:
- votive hand
- credit:
- Loan, Wellcome Trust
