A stunning piece of Ancient art, High quality, beautiful features and original paint. In Perfect Condition. No repairs. No restoration Condition: good condition, see photo. She is Baubo, a fun-loving, bawdy, jesting, sexually liberated—yet very wise—goddess who plays a crucial, healing role in the Eleusian mysteries of ancient Greece. Baubo was a mythical woman of Eleusis, the nurse of Demeter; but the common story runs thus : -- on her wanderings in search of her daughter, Demeter came to Baubo, who received her hospitably, and offered her something to drink; but when the goddess, being too much under the influence of grief, refused to drink, Baubo made such a strange gesture, that the goddess smiled and accepted the draught. In the fragment of the Orphic hymn, it is further related, that a boy of the name of Iacchus made an indecent gesture at the grief of Demeter. Arnobius (a writer) repeats the story of Baubo, but without mentioning the boy Iacchus, who is otherwise unknown, and, if meant for Dionysus, is out of place here. The different stories concerning the reception of Demeter at Eleusis seem all to be inventions of later times, coined for the purpose of giving a mythical origin to the jokes in which the women used to indulge at the festival of this goddess. According to the myths, Demeter was wandering the Earth in deep mourning over the loss of her beloved daughter, Persephone, who had been violently abducted by Hades, the god of the underworld. Abandoning her goddess duties of bringing fertility to the land, she took refuge in the city of Eleusis. The disheartened goddess, disguised as an old woman, was welcomed into the home of the king. Everyone in the king's household tried to console and lift the spirits of the severely depressed woman, but to no avail—until Baubo showed up. The two women started chatting, with Baubo making a number of humorous, risqué remarks. Demeter began to smile. Then, Baubo suddenly lifted her skirt in front of Demeter. Different versions of this tale provide very different images of what Demeter saw under Baubo's skirt, but whatever she saw, it finally lifted her out of her depression. She responded with a long and hearty belly laugh! Ultimately, with her spirits and confidence restored, Demeter persuaded Zeus to command Hades to release Persephone. So, thanks to the lewd antics of Baubo, all was once again right in the world She became very loved as a goddess throughout the Hellenistic world and the most lovely examples seem to come all from Alexandria, ruled by the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egyptian born, Greek rulers that adapted the Egyptian gods to their taste and made numerous forms of mingled gods, half with the ancient Egyptian characteristics and half of the Greek identity of the gods in whom they saw parallels. Provenance: The Supplier warrants that is has obtained this lot in a legal manner. Obtained from The European Art Market . exported through our Agent : Connoisseurs Int. Dist. Middleton. U.K imported legally to Dubai in 2014 and is originally obtained pre 1980 Zurqieh Co. - Member of the Association of International Antiquities Dealers (AIAD) Important information. The seller guarantees that he is entitled to ship this lot. The seller will take care that any necessary permits will be arranged. The seller will inform the buyer about this if this takes more than a few days.