Made in two pieces in a mold, this terracotta statuette depicts a comic actor from the Greek theater. Sitting cross-legged on an altar, the actor holds his right arm close to his body at the waist and raises his left hand to his chin in a "plotting" gesture. He wears a short, belted costume over leggings and a long-sleeved undergarment, and sandals. His mask has a short shovel-shaped beard accentuating the broad, grinning mouth. And his thick hair is brushed back from the forehead in a sort of pompadour. The costume and mask characterize the figure as a slave. The runaway slave taking sanctuary at an altar was a stock character in Greek comedy of this time.

Reminders of pleasant diversions, statuettes of actors were favorite knick-knacks in ancient households. A more affluent home might have bronze statuettes, whereas the less wealthy could always afford terracotta. Among these statuettes, the slave figures were most popular. Some scholars believe that figures like this may have belonged to sets that could be assembled to enact a famous scene from a comedy.