Marble female figure

Technical analysis: Ultraviolet-induced visible luminescence examination, optical microscopy


The figure, sculpted from white marble, is complete except for a break where the neck joins the body. The object is a rare example of Early Cycladic mending: an ancient repair, evident from two holes drilled from the front and the back of each piece with a semi-rotated borer, originally held the neck and body together. More recently, the break was bonded with a modern adhesive. One side of the figure is covered with a brown accretion, and white abraded areas on the surface of the marble are visible on the base and elsewhere. The figure is flat and takes the shape of a violin, created by the schematic outline of the female form with an elongated neck and broad shoulders and hips. The head is not articulated and there are no incised anatomical details on the front or back of the work.


The Violin type was the most common figural representation of the Early Cycladic I period. This piece is a characteristic example, with the shoulders slightly wider than the hips and one third of the total height devoted to the neck. The abstract hourglass shape suggests a seated position, derived from Late Neolithic female figures sitting with folded legs.


Alexis Belis and Wendy Walker