Marble female figure

Technical analysis: Multiband imaging, X-ray radiography, optical microscopy


The figure, carved out of fine-grained white marble, is complete, but breaks at the neck and the proper left corner at the head have been repaired. The proper left hip is damaged, with a large unfilled chip on the reverse. Much of the proper left side of the torso and arms on the front are covered with modern paint and fill. A groove at the base of the neck on the proper left side, visible in the X-ray image, has also been filled. However, the eroded surface was left visible on the back. The remains of accretions are visible in the interstices of the weathered surface.


The figure has a triangular head with a slightly arching top and a well-defined ridge at the back. The flat face features a long nose and a shallow rounded chin. The outline of the shoulders and upper arms repeat the angularity of the head. The raised breasts are indicated at different levels and are widely spaced. The arms, rendered in low relief, are distinguished from the chest by light grooves. Fingers are preserved on the comparatively short right forearm. The toes are also articulated. There is a short space between the lower arm and the broad incised pubic triangle that is pierced by the shallow groove separating the legs. The groove defining the legs continues up the back, ending at the slightly swelling buttocks. There are no markings on the back except for the leg division.


The figure is an excellent example of the Chalandriani type, characterized by its unnaturalistic angularity, clear emphasis on the broad upper torso, little or no space between the arms and the top of the pubic area, and legs differentiated very simply by a continuous shallow groove. Often the arrangement of the arms does not follow the canonical position, but as in this case places the right arm above the left.


Alexis Belis and Dorothy Abramitis