These terracotta body parts were dedicated in a sanctuary by people seeking cures for illness, or as offerings in thanks for their recovery. Both objects, the hand with forearm and the leg and foot, are crudely modelled with no details such as joints, fingers or nails.
Numerous other anatomical votives, representing heads, arms, legs, breasts and genitalia, have been found at archaeological excavations of sanctuaries and temples, demonstrating that this kind of dedication was a widespread practice in the ancient world. The practice implies that individuals turned to the gods directly to seek help in solving their problems.
Some sanctuaries, such as that of Asklepios at Epidaurus in the Peloponnese, specialised in healing, possibly because of the curative powers of nearby springs, and this is where these types of votives were most favoured.
