Marble female figure
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.Technical analysis: Multiband imaging, optical microscopy
This fine-grained white marble figure is complete except for both feet and the tips of both shoulders, the latter restored. An ancient break at the base of the neck, now mended with adhesive, has biconical repair holes above and below the join. The shield-shaped backward-tilted head has a shallow face with pointed chin, flat crown, prominent centered aquiline nose, and short horizontal groove to indicate the mouth. The long, slender cylindrical neck is separated from the head by a shallow curved incised groove at the front and back, and from the torso by a shallow incised groove that is curved at the front and v-shaped at the back. The figure has broad, angular sloping shoulders with pointed elbows and curving forearms without fingers folded left over right supporting pointed breasts and above the slightly bulging abdomen. Shallow incised grooves delineate the pubic area. A shallow vertical groove separates the downward tapering slightly arched legs with lightly bent knees. At the back, a shallow vertical groove running from the back of the neck to delineate the spine continues unbroken through the lightly protruding buttocks to delineate the legs.
The surface has scattered golden-brown accretions, most of which are in the pattern of rootlets. There are indications of lozenge-shaped paint ghosts on the right side of the face near the top of the nose, which could indicate the presence of an eye, and some vertical marks at the top of the back of the crown.
Georgios Gavalas, Sandy MacGillivray, Dorothy Abramitis and Elizabeth Hendrix
This fine-grained white marble figure is complete except for both feet and the tips of both shoulders, the latter restored. An ancient break at the base of the neck, now mended with adhesive, has biconical repair holes above and below the join. The shield-shaped backward-tilted head has a shallow face with pointed chin, flat crown, prominent centered aquiline nose, and short horizontal groove to indicate the mouth. The long, slender cylindrical neck is separated from the head by a shallow curved incised groove at the front and back, and from the torso by a shallow incised groove that is curved at the front and v-shaped at the back. The figure has broad, angular sloping shoulders with pointed elbows and curving forearms without fingers folded left over right supporting pointed breasts and above the slightly bulging abdomen. Shallow incised grooves delineate the pubic area. A shallow vertical groove separates the downward tapering slightly arched legs with lightly bent knees. At the back, a shallow vertical groove running from the back of the neck to delineate the spine continues unbroken through the lightly protruding buttocks to delineate the legs.
The surface has scattered golden-brown accretions, most of which are in the pattern of rootlets. There are indications of lozenge-shaped paint ghosts on the right side of the face near the top of the nose, which could indicate the presence of an eye, and some vertical marks at the top of the back of the crown.
Georgios Gavalas, Sandy MacGillivray, Dorothy Abramitis and Elizabeth Hendrix
Artwork Details
- Title: Marble female figure
- Period: Early Cycladic II
- Date: ca. 2500–2400/2300 BCE
- Culture: Cycladic
- Medium: Marble
- Dimensions: Height: 8 1/4 in. (21 cm)
Width: 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm)
Depth: 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm)
Thickness: 13/16 in. (2.1 cm) - Classification: Stone Sculpture
- Credit Line: Leonard N. Stern Collection, Loan from the Hellenic Republic, Ministry of Culture
- Object Number: L.2022.38.29
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art