Terracotta Dog Figurine

This cute terracotta dog was found at Karanis in House C38, Room B, along with another terracotta dog. The canine has long fur, pointy ears, a curly tail, and wears a bell or amulet around its neck. Coming from a domestic context, it is exciting to imagine the dog as a toy for a child, a souvenir from a trip, a votive offering, or a decorative knick-knack. Although at first glance the dog does not appear to have much preserved color on the surface, a closer look revealed quite a bit of the object’s original paint decoration: pink pigment on the dog’s belly, legs, chest, and face; yellow pigment on the tail, back, outer ears, and collar; and red pigment on the inner ears and toes. For more information about the dog’s preserved color and about color in Roman Egypt, please visit Investigating Color in Roman Egypt. 

The downloadable files are in an .STL format which is optimal for 3D printing. We suggest using a free software such as Meshmixer to edit the file to your needs. Some objects may need supports added or should be hollowed out for the most efficient printing. Any questions about 3D printing should be directed to kelsey.disko.project@umich.edu.

Download STL

Touch Controls

Orbit: swiping on mobile or click and drag with a mouse.

Panning: two-finger touch, or dragging with right-click.

Zoom:  pinching on a mobile device or the scroll wheel on a mouse.

Keyboard Controls

Orbit: Up, Down, Left and Right arrows.

Panning: Hold the Shift key and use the Up, Down, Left and Right arrows.

Zoom:  currently not implemented.