Animal figurines appear frequently in the archaeological record of ancient Greece.  They are found in children’s graves as well as at sanctuary sites.  The function of these figurines is debated - are they religious dedications or children’s toys?  Toys could also be dedicated at sanctuaries.  Children and animals often appear together in Greek art.  On painted pottery children are shown with a variety of different animals and birds. In Greek mythology heroes such as Herakles and Theseus subdue ferocious wild boars; perhaps these stories inspired the manufacture of terracotta boars as toys.

The Shefton boar figurine (inventory number 231) is made from a yellowish-buff clay, which was covered in a white decorative slip. The boar was produced in Greece in the late Archaic or early Classical period, around 480 BC. The figurine is hollow, with a small hole at the rear. This suggests it was made in two parts, in a mould. After the parts were fitted together, it was decorated, and the whole figurine was then fired in a kiln.

The boar has a body that is slightly shaped, tapering towards the middle, with a raised edge that runs along the back from the head to the tail. The head incorporates a long snout, two triangular ears, roughly marked eyes, an incised mouth, and traces of bristles around the face. The legs are short and triangular. There are four straight lines, added in grey slip, down the back on either side of the spine ridge.

The Shefton boar figurine is complete, though with notable wear to the decorative slip. It is a small figurine, in the way that we would expect a child’s toy to be. It is 4.75cm high and 10.2cm long, and weighs only 96g. We do not know the findspot for this boar.

In terms of shining a light on children in antiquity, small terracotta models like the boar can provide evidence of toys being made and used in ancient Greece. These clay animals give us an insight into the kind of games children might have played.

Click to load 3D model of the Shefton boar then click and drag to rotate