Hellenistic terracotta figures of this type (especially Tanagra) generally depict real women, men, and boys, in everyday costume, with familiar accessories such as hats, wreaths or fans. They seem to have been decorative pieces for the home, used in much the same way as their modern equivalents, however, unlike these they were often buried with their owners. In such cases they may have been brought to temples and sanctuaries as offerings to the gods and deposited in graves as cherished possessions of the deceased, or as protective devices.