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Source Description

Plank figures of this type, with pinched bird-like faces and high “polos” crowns, are strongly abstract in style but securely dated to the Archaic period (6th century BCE) by excavated examples in Boeotia. Painted details create the eyes, the long wavy hair, and the decoration of the long garments worn by the figures, which all appear to be female. These figures also typically wear pomegranate pendants around their necks, and the pomegranate is strongly linked to death and rebirth by their association with story of Persephone in the underworld. The figures usually have a modeled spiral that emerges from the brow as part of the crown; the meaning behind the spiral and the very stylized facial features is not known. It is also uncertain whether these figures represent mortal women or goddesses.

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
7274
label
Figurine with Pinched Face and Geometric Decorations
core
obj
dtoType
sculpture
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
7274
contentType
sculpture
stage
normalized
title
Figurine with Pinched Face and Geometric Decorations
description
Plank figures of this type, with pinched bird-like faces and high “polos” crowns, are strongly abstract in style but securely dated to the Archaic period (6th century BCE) by excavated examples in Boeotia. Painted details create the eyes, the long wavy hair, and the decoration of the long garments worn by the figures, which all appear to be female. These figures also typically wear pomegranate pendants around their necks, and the pomegranate is strongly linked to death and rebirth by their association with story of Persephone in the underworld. The figures usually have a modeled spiral that emerges from the brow as part of the crown; the meaning behind the spiral and the very stylized facial features is not known. It is also uncertain whether these figures represent mortal women or goddesses.
provenance
E. Segredakis, New York, 1945 [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1945, by purchase.
date
first half 6th century BCE (Archaic)
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
statuettes
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
16.4
height
7.5
depth
2.9
dimensionsRaw
H: 6 7/16 × W: 2 15/16 × D: 1 1/8 in. (16.4 × 7.5 × 2.9 cm)
Source extras
cul
Greek
med
terracotta, hand made; painted
creator_ids
6256
collection_ids
none
exhibition_ids
2507
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
36344ec45e0c6c58