The tambourine player figurine was crafted during the Archaic period (750–480 BCE) in Cyprus. The chronological sequence of Archaic Cyprus is conventionally divided into Cypro-Archaic I (750–600 BCE) and Cypro-Archaic II (ca. 600–480 BCE), with the tambourine player likely dating to the latter phase (fig. 1).
Fig. 1 - Chronological table of Cyprus (from Fourier 2007, 12)
The facial characteristics of the figurine, such as the oval face, almond-shaped eyes, elongated nose, pronounced chin, are typical of this period. However, assigning a more precise chronology to the figurine is challenging for two main reasons. First, its archaeological provenance is unknown, making it impossible to rely on associated artifacts to refine its dating. Second, the vast and highly conservative nature of Cypriot coroplastic production during the Archaic period complicates stylistic dating, as changes in form occurred gradually.
The Archaic period, particularly its later phase, saw an unprecedented increase in the quantity and types variety of clay figurines. As far as we know, Cypriot terracotta production held a primary role in the Mediterranean world, distinguished by its creativity and the abundance of its models. Among the most widespread types of musicians stood the tambourine player. A precursor to this type can be traced to the Bronze Age (1400–1230 BCE) in the form of the so-called “bird-faced” female figurine, which holds a disk-shaped object interpreted as a drum (fig. 2). While this earlier example demonstrates the type’s presence, the tambourine player only became standardised and popular during the Archaic period. Although musician figurines were produced as early as the Cypro-Geometric phase, tambourine players did not appear until the Cypro-Archaic I period, around 700 BCE, when a drummer was depicted as part of a terracotta dancing group. From this point onward, the production of tambourine player figurines increased significantly, reflecting their growing popularity in Cypriot coroplastic art.
Fig. 2 - Terracotta statuette of women with bird face
(from Met Museum collection, OA)
The popularity of these figurines was likely linked to the growing significance of percussion instruments on the island. Tambourines are believed to have originated in Mesopotamia and were widely used in New Kingdom Egypt and the Levant during the Early Iron Age. From this geographical area – likely through Phoenician influence – tambourines reached Cyprus and, by the 8th century BCE, had also appeared in the Aegean.