Complete Description

A Cycladic marble head, Early Cycladic II, Spedos variety, 2700-2300 B.C.

Art des Cyclades, cycladique ancien II, groupe de Spédos, 2700-2300 av. J.-C.

Belle tête d'idole au visage typique en forme de lyre, d'où n'apparaît en relief que le nez allongé et triangulaire. Petits manques visibles.

Haut. : 10,5 cm

Provenance:

Collection Nicolas Koutoulakis (1910-1996), Paris et Genève, années 1970

Galerie Gilgamesh, Paris

Collection de Monsieur B., Paris, acquis en 2015

Bibliography:

Galerie Gilgamesh, XXVIIe Biennale des Antiquaires, Paris, 2014, pp.12-13

Comment:

The 'idols' of the Keros-Syros culture are considered 'canonical' of this type of production in Early Cycladic period: long, stylised female figures, with a thin face and only the nose in relief, in a hieratic position, their arms folded over their stomachs.

The Spedos variety (sculptures mainly from the Naxos cemetery) is characterised by a U-shaped head bent backwards.

Some researchers suggest that these sculptures were originally painted (particularly the details of the face), dressed and adorned with attachments. However, their meaning and use remain enigmatic.