Figurine head
Π14176
Clay
Good
Height: 7.5 cm.
Tylissos
Koryfi Pyrgos, "Peak Sanctuary"
Middle Bronze Age, Protopalatial period, Middle Minoan IIB-IIIA period:
1800 - 1650 BC:
Gallery:
IICase:
21Exhibition thematic unit:
Middle Bronze Age - Late Prepalatial-Protopalatial period (2200-1700 BC). From small communities to townsPeak Sanctuaries
Description
Head of a clay female figurine with a stepped/fan-shaped headdress on which the long locks of hair are braided. The face is modelled by pinching the clay, forming hollow cheeks and a strongly protruding, triangular nose. The eyes are indicated by applied discs and the ears by semi-circular attachments. The hairstyle is elaborate. The tall, stepped headdress with horizontal bands is seemingly intended to accentuate the rich hair with its long, braided locks. Looplike curls, protruding from under the hat brim, fall over the forehead. Twin twisted braids are visible within the hollow of the hat, with the curved backs of a row of small locks protruding from the upper edges. The elaborate headdress and hair, like the eyes, preserve their vivid brown colour. The coiffure of both genders indicates age and social status in the figurines from the Minoan Peak Sanctuaries. This particular example is one of the most impressive expressions of this display in plastic art, regardless of the person represented by the figurine: whether it is the woman who made the offering, a priestess or even a goddess.Bibliography:
Dimopoulou-Rethemiotaki N., 2005, Το Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Ηρακλείου, Athens, p. 81.Author:
D. S.Photographs' metadata