In plan the statue is a not quite regular rectangle with a projection for the feet. Seen from the back, the lines of the base slant to the l. The goddess sits on the high-backed throne with her legs slightly to proper l. She wears a low polos without decoration, and her hair seems to be arranged in a 5th C. style. There are large waves on the sides, like those of Amazons, with two short braids falling down on the shoulders. This corresponds to the coiffure of the relief Cat. 19 (Figs. 75-77) and helps to prove the figure's identity as Cybele.

The figure seems to have been turning her head slightly to proper r. and down. She wears a high-girt peplos. A cloak appears below the crown on her r. side, goes down her back, and is thrown across her lap from below her l. lower arm. It then descends in a fold on the outside of her l. leg and ends in a three-pointed tip. The cloak covers her legs, lap to shins. A smaller simple fold descends on the outside of her r. leg. The preserved part of her foot seems to indicate a sandal with a strap. Her r. arm held an attribute which is now lost; her l., not shown, held a very large tympanum.

At her r. , carved in relief against the throne, is a lion (H. 0.25). Only the front of his body and forelegs are seen, his head turned back -- a kind of foreshortened pose. His face and neck are battered.

That the throne's back was curving backward is evident on the goddess' l. side. The outline of the tympanum is also preserved and what might be intended as the l. arm, carved with a chisel. The entire upper part of the figure bends back; it recalls the Boston type of Cybele (Caskey, Catalogue Boston MFA, 106, no. 50). The piece is summarily worked. The original I. side and remaining parts of the r. side and back are smoothed by abrasion but not too carefully. Iron dowels with round holes (ca. 6 mm. in diam.) were used to attach the r. hand and foot. The details of the figure are done in straight flat chisel work (folds). A stop drill was used under the belt, but there was no use of the "running" drill for artistic effect. The piece is late Hellenistic, a possible time span being 50 B.C. to A.D. 50.

Marble, grayish blue.

Face and front part of head entirely split off, also r. hand which was dowelled on. Relatively low polos seems original on top. Splintered, broken: at proper I. shoulder; r. elbow; r. foot, which was also dowelled on; front part of tympanum, and I. arm and hand. Most of back surviving in original condition. Treated with claw chisel. Looks as if entire back of head split off, perhaps in antiquity, and was also very rough picked.