Figurine of striding man
Χ2308
Metal (Bronze)
Good
Height: 12 cm.
Patsos
Agios Antonios rock shelter
Protogeometric period:
1000 - 800 BC:
Gallery:
XICase:
124Exhibition thematic unit:
Late Bronze Age - Postpalatial period (1300-1100 BC). Settlements. Sanctuaries. TombsCommunal shrines
Description
Figurine of a standing male in a wide forward stride, arms raised with elbows bent at right angles and clenched fists. The musculature of the dynamic calves is differentiated from that of the narrower thighs, while the neck is an extension of the upper body, forming a cylinder of even thickness. The spherical volume of the head is stressed by the smooth surface of the symmetrical dome of the skull. The facial features are rendered in detail, with the hemispherical eyes, the jawline dividing the cheeks from the neck, and the separation of chin from nose. The ears are rendered as relief rings. The figure is wearing a loincloth forming a series of relief layers around the waist, probably representing the many turns of a single strip of cloth. The figure stands on a small, plaque-shaped rectangular base. The garment and gesture might indicate that the figure depicted is a boxer, or they might equally well support other interpretations. The offering of a full figurine of an adolescent male may be a token of gratitude for successfully passing a stage in a rite of passage allowing the individual to enter the society of men.Bibliography:
Naumann, Ute. 1976. Subminoische und protogeometrische Bronzeplatte auf Kreta. AM Beiheft 6. Mann, Berlin, p. 97, P28, pl. 32. - Lebessi, Angeliki. 2002. Το ιερό του Ερμή και της Αφροδίτης στη Σύμη Βιάννου. Volume III: Τα χάλκινα ανθρωπόμορφα ειδώλια. Βιβλιοθήκη της εν Αθήναις Αρχαιολογικής Εταιρείας 225, pp. 75-76, n. 206, 78, 99, 217, 286, 289, 304, fig. 44.Author:
D. S.Photographs' metadata