Meeting Point 04: Museum of Cycladic Art

Marble female figurine with traces of colour, Early Cycladic II period (ca.2700-2300 BC), Marble, 35,6 cm height
N.P. Goulandris Collection, no 252, Museum of Cycladic Art

Creative description

Cycladic marble figurine, 35.6 cm high, similar in height to a wine bottle, created between 2700 and 2300 BC by an unknown artist. It represents a female figure with her arms crossed under her chest, her left hand over her right. The figurine is beige in colour, with a rough surface showing slight material corrosion, and it weighs 1000 grams. Anatomical features typical of the female gender are visible, including prominent breasts, a slightly distended abdomen, a pubic triangle, and the curves of the pelvis. The figure’s head is slightly tilted backward and disproportionately large in relation to the rest of the body.

The relief on the card depicts the outline of the head, the arched eyebrows, the almond-shaped eye contours on either side of the nose, a bulging nose, the hairline on the forehead, a broad and high neck, and the curved shape of the body. Joints are rendered with gaps, separating the arms and emphasising the knees, feet, toes, and the genital triangle.

Traces of paint, now lost, have been found on the figurine’s face and thighs. Specifically, the eyes and eyebrows were accentuated by a thin black line, the lips were painted red, and the cheeks were decorated with four rows of red dots.

The appearance, size, and features of the sculpture resemble those of a modern doll or a child’s toy, although this interpretation has not been confirmed in the past. The significance and purpose of the Cycladic figurines remain puzzling to researchers. Excavation data attribute their use to burial or cult rituals, while the nudity of the figurines, combined with the emphasis on the female gender, is linked to the concept of fertility.

The creative description of the Marble female figurine is the result of co-creation by the participants in Meeting Point 04: Museum of Cycladic Art.

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