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Classical Antiquities :
Greco-Roman Art : Female Head
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Female Head - CB.005
Origin: Mediterranean
Circa: 600
BC
to 480
BC
Dimensions:
5" (12.7cm) high
Style: Archaic
Medium: stone
Condition: Fine
£6,000.00
Location: Great Britain
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| Description |
Oval fleshy face, with well-
integrated features, narrower at
the jaw and broader at the
temples, almond-shaped eyes with
carved and slightly protruding
bulbs, short pointed nose, the hair
neatly arranged in three parallel
rows of tiny kiss-curls along the
forehead, all the way down to the
rather large and not particularly
elaborate ears. The rest of the
hair, the head and nape are
covered by a long veil. Long and
heavy neck. Several facial details
such as lids, irises and pupils could
have originally been added or could
have been made to stand out in
bright paint. Small depressions
around mouth and outer corners
of lips still give the hint of a
delicate smile, typical of Archaic
sculpture in general. The head is
delicately rendered and shows the
characteristic facial lineaments and
customary aspect of Italic/East
Greek sculptures of the mid-sixth
century BC.
By definition, Kore (maiden) is a
type of freestanding statue
representing a young female,
which appeared with the beginning
of Greek monumental sculpture
about 660 BC. and continued to be
created until the end of the
Archaic period, around 480 BC.,
either as votive or commemorative
statues. As with everything else in
Greek art, the Kore type evolved
over this period of 180 years from
a highly stylized form to a more
naturalistic one.
The majority of the Korai statues
had the main body of the carved
from a single block of stone , with
the head and the arms made out
of a different block. They are
represented in a forward pose with
one leg, usually the left, extended
slightly in advance (though
sometimes with feet together),
and with one hand pulling the
dress aside. The free hand was
holding an offering to the god or
goddess. The garments worn in
different variations by the Korai
were the heavy tunic or peplos,
often on top of the lighter and
more graceful chiton, also the
Ionian himation, a short, pleated
cloak and finally the epiblema, a
shawllike stole. All the garments
displayed patterns, either on the
borders or as single ornaments
arranged in designs, artfully
scattered over the entire surface of
the drapery. Sculptors took
immense delight in creating superb
rhythmic balance with the folds of
the garment as it draped over their
bodies, with the masterfully carved
marble revealing the ornate quality
of the drapery’s edges, which was
either painted or elaborately
worked with the chisel. With Kore
statues, the human anatomy is of
course acknowledged under the
drapery but it is never overly
emphasized. Instead the lines of
the drapery form smooth shapes
that flow with ease, creating a
serene, almost hypnotic aura, duly
complemented by the peaceful
facial expression and the relative
motionless body.
The arms of Korai are often down
by the sides, though in most cases
one of the hands is brought up
closely across the front of the body
or as mentioned above is
extended, holding an offering; the
other hand is then lowered, often
clasping a fold of drapery.
In the earliest examples of Korai,
their bodies still appear square and
solid and, the most artistically
interesting feature being the bold
patterns formed by the grooves of
their drapery. Later, the drapery
became more fluid, with a greater
variation in the folds gained by
having one hand of the Kore pull
the drapery tightly across her
lower body.
Like the Kouroi (statues of nude
male youths), the kore type was
inspired by Egyptian art, with
comparisons found particularly in
statues and statuettes of the
Egyptian New Kingdom.
It is not known exactly what the
Korai statues represent. A great
number of Korai statues has been
unearthed at the Acropolis of
Athens, the majority of them
dating to the beginning of the 6th
c. BC. Those found within the
Athenian sanctuary do not have
the attributes necessary to identify
them as representations of the
goddess associated with this
sanctuary, Athena. In addition,
many of the figures seem to be
gesturing in a manner suggestive
of offering or of showing gratitude
for a grace received, so it is
possible that these korai were
intended mainly as representations
of young girls in the service of the
goddess.
According to the most accepted
interpretations of archaeological
evidence, Kore statues were
dedications of wealthy patrons and
never represented deities.
Most of the Korai statues are
either life-size or a little smaller,
and were developed with the same
techniques and proportional
conventions as the Kouros
equivalent of the same era.
Korai statues were thoroughly
painted in ancient times in order to
emphasize the life-likeness of their
beauty by applying pigment, the
colour applied to the surface of the
stone by using the encaustic
technique. In this process, colored
pigment was mixed with wax that
was used as a bonding agent, and
the mixture was applied to the
sculpture after it was heated. Once
cool, the waxed surface would seal
the natural pores of the stone
preventing, thus its erosion.
Consequently, the material used to
carve the statues was chosen
more for its qualities in
workmanship and its durability,
and less for its color or
translucently.
In the early days most Kore and
Kouros statues were made of
limestone, which is relatively soft,
and porous. As such, limestone is
easy to carve and holds pigments
well on its surface, but it
deteriorates relatively fast when
presented outdoors. When exposed
to the elements, the details of a
limestone statue could be lost
even within the lifetime of the
patrons who commissioned it. It is
no surprise therefore that marble
would be preferred since its
hardness can resist erosion longer,
even if it is a harder material to
carve.
- (CB.005)
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