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Descriptive Attribute Value(s)
Type Warriors, Horses, and Chariots
Title Male Warrior Figurine Head
Excavation Unit 40
Stratigraphic Unit 4045
Context Found in the construction fill of the hard-packed floor layer associated with the Hellenistic-Roman phase of the sanctuary (EU 40/SU 4045).
Current Location Larnaka District Archaeological Museum, Cyprus
Material Terracotta
Height (cm) 6.08
Width (cm) 5.02
Date 600 – 500 BCE
Thickness (cm) 3.99
Weight (kg) 0.06
Description Bearded male head with a conical helmet from a handmade warrior figurine, broken at the neck; the proper left edge of the beard is chipped. The helmet has a rounded brim and rises to a bent-back, pointed fold that falls down the back of the helmet; dark red pigment is preserved on the headgear. Shoulder-length hair, with some black pigment preserved, protrudes in a triangular pattern from beneath the helmet to either side of the neck. The face is broad and cylindrical, widening to a flaring beard that juts out prominently from the face with black pigment preserved. The large, almond-shaped eyes, downturned at the outer corner, are rendered as painted black outlines with a dot pupil. Black pigment denoting arched eyebrows is preserved above the eyes. Bright red pigment details straight, thin lips with a horizontal line that tapers at the ends; a black mustache is painted above the lips and connects to the beard below around the sides of the mouth. The applied nose, with dark red pigment preserved, is large and projects from the middle of the face in a triangular knob. Large, oval ears were applied to the sides of the head; each ear has a small depression in the center and preserved dark red pigment on the front side and black pigment on the back side. The fabric is light gray (2.5Y 7/2) with fine inclusions. Minor calcareous encrustations from weathering passim.
Commentary This warrior head could come from a standing warrior figurine, a horse-and-rider, or a charioteer figurine. The fact that it is almost identical to the fragmentary warrior AAP-AM-5151 suggests that the two figurines might have rode in the same chariot and were made by the same coroplast or in the same workshop. The style of the facial features and helmet date AAP-AM-5140 to the sixth century BCE (see, for example, similar warriors from chariot groups from Ayia Irini and Meniko-Litharkes, Karageorghis 1995: 108–10, cat. nos. 4–6, 10, pls. LVIII–LX, LX, LXIII; see also Karageorghis 1993: 87; Törnkvist 1972: 22–25 for helmet style, likely made out of cloth or leather). The style of the facial features, the flaring hair, and the type of helmet with bent-back, pointed fold are closely paralleled by a CA horse-and-rider warrior head dedicated at the Lindos sanctuary on Rhodes (Blinkenberg 1931: 482, cat. no. 1976, pl. 88) as well as horse-and-rider figurines from Amathous (Karageorghis 1995: 79, cat. nos. 30, 33, pls. XL: 7, XLI: 2).
Bibliography Unpublished
Sketchfab Media URL
AAP-AM-5140-model
Suggested Citation

Derek Counts, Erin Averett, Kevin Garstki. (2020) "AAP-AM-5140 from Europe/Cyprus/Athienou-Malloura". In Visualizing Votive Practice: Exploring Limestone and Terracotta Sculpture from Athienou-Malloura through 3D Models. Derek B. Counts, Erin Walcek Averett, Kevin Garstki, Michael Toumazou (Ed). Released: 2020-07-28. Open Context. <https://opencontext.org/subjects/21ce6fd5-35e9-4a3c-9771-c17a740f7b14> ARK (Archive): https://n2t.net/ark:/28722/k2hd85z7f

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