Terracotta statuette of a standing woman late 4th-early 3rd century B.C. Greek, probably Boeotian Although the Greeks had been making terracotta statuettes since the eighth century B.C., it was not until the late fourth century that they began to produce the clay figurines that are still prized for their naturalness, variety, and charm. These statuettes were first made in Athens and were soon being fabricated throughout the Mediterranean world, but they take their name from Tanagra, an ancient city in Boeotia, the region north of Attica, where great numbers were illicitly removed from tombs in the early 1870s. Whereas almost all earlier terracotta figurines represented deities, the majority of Tanagras are fashionable women or girls elegantly wrapped in thin "himatia" (cloaks), often wearing large sun hats and holding wreaths or fans. While most stand gracefully, some are seated or playing games. A number of boys are represented and Aphrodite and Eros appear as well. Many of these figu