Standing male figurine
Π3488
Clay
Good
Height: 28 cm.
Chamaizi
Souvloto Mouri
Middle Bronze Age, Protopalatial period, Middle Minoan IIB-IIIA period:
1800 - 1650 BC:
Gallery:
IICase:
16Exhibition thematic unit:
Middle Bronze Age - Late Prepalatial-Protopalatial period (2200-1700 BC). From small communities to townsLife in the settlements
Description
Figurine of standing adolescent on square plaque-shaped base. The figure is standing upright with right hand raised in front of the chest and left hand touching the abdomen, while the head is tilted sharply backwards. As is the general rule, the head and neck, the upper body to the waist, and the lower body and legs are formed separately. The only distinct plastic features of the body are the two small discs representing the nipples. It is presumed from the traces of red-brown paint that the loincloth, footwear and naked skin were painted in vivid colours (red, brown and white). The oval head bears applied plastic elements (disc-shaped eyes, ears, and a disc on the skull representing a tuft of hair, while the rest of the head is shaven). The facial features that stand out are the thin nose, wide, rounded chin and plump cheeks. Despite the relatively coarse modelling, the figure has a strong “kinetic” expressiveness due to its distinctive gesture and tilted head. The figurine depicts a typical “worshipper”, a pilgrim to the Minoan peak sanctuaries, although it is distinguished by its large size and relatively rare gesture. It was found with two other standing figurines of almost the same size – an identical male figurine and a female one – and a head, in the corner of a rectangular room, outside a much older oval building crowning a pointed hilltop. The small group of figurines and the character of the site have raised questions about whether it was a Peak Sanctuary and the precise dating of the figurines. The singular gesture and the hairstyle indicate that this particular figurine may represent a pre-adult figure, leading to discussions on the significance of offering a coroplastic image of a child or ephebe in the context of a rite of passage into adulthood.Bibliography:
Xanthoudides S. 1906, "Εκ Κρήτης. Γ’. Η προϊστορική οικία εις Χαμαίζι Σητείας", Αρχαιολογική Εφημερίς, [117 – 156], 136 – 141, fig. 5. Dimopoulou-Rethemiotaki Ν., 2005, Το Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Ηρακλείου, Athens, p. 91.Author:
D. S.Photographs' metadata