Terracotta Greek Siren in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, July 2007

Terracotta Statuette of a Siren
Greek, Archaic period, ca. 550-500 BC

Accession # 2000.276

Sirens are mythical creatures famous in antiquity for their song, which lured sailors to their death. Sanctuaries to the sirens are known to have existed in parts of South Italy and Sicily, as the geographer Strabo and other ancient writers tell us. This large, hand-modeled sculpture with applied decoration may well have been a votive offering at such a sanctuary.

Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.