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Descriptive Attribute Value(s)
Type Male Votaries with Vegetal Wreaths and Fillets and Sculpted Votive Offerings
Title Male Votary Head with Fillet
Excavation Unit 52
Stratigraphic Unit 5239
Context Found in a fill abutting the interior face of the northern section of the peribolos of the Hellenistic-Roman phase of the sanctuary, just east of the entrance (EU 52/SU 5239).
Current Location Larnaka District Archaeological Museum, Cyprus
Material Limestone
Height (cm) 9.42
Width (cm) 6.85
Date 500 BCE
Thickness (cm) 7.87
Weight (kg) 0.374
Description Under- life-size head of a male votary wearing a fillet; the head is broken at the base of the neck and there are ancient chips at the back of the head and along the hairline above the forehead. The proper right side of the face, especially around the eye, has mostly worn away. The head is ovoid in shape with a high dome. The almond-shaped eyes are prominent and elongated with raised lids. The large nose descends directly from the wide brow with lobed nostrils. The mouth is distinguished from the broad cheeks by subtle nasolabial grooves and dimples that articulate a slight smile. The lips are thin and pursed; the upper lip protrudes over the lower one. The jaw is heavy and the chin is wide, but set back in profile from the rest of the face. The ears lie flat against the sides of the head and are ill- defined; the inner ear is rendered flat. The neck is wide and flares toward the shoulders. The hairstyle consists of heavy, thick locks that radiate unevenly from the crown and end in short curls above the forehead and longer, thicker curls in higher relief at the nape of the neck in back. The hair is tucked behind the ears, demarcated by deep grooves. The simple fillet disappears around the back of the head, but is assumed since the hair is cinched as ift pulledt tight by the a tie. The head has some natural discolorations, including light calcareous encrustations and a dark spot above the proper left eye. There are slight traces of red pigment preserved on the lips.
Commentary Beardless heads with a simple fillet are ubiquitous in Cypriot sanctuaries ofin the CA II period, especially in the late sixth and early fifth centuriesy BCE. It is difficult to ignore the infelicities of AAP-AM-4632, most notably the unseemly, tall cranium and the rough articulation of the structure of the head and the hair bound by the fillet. A more successful version of the type, and of comparable style and date, is published in by Antoine Hermary (1989a: 57, cat. no. 78): where the rendering of details for the shape of the head, the hair, and the ears are is more naturalistic. The heavily slanted brow, pursed lips, square jaw, as well as theand elongated, thin, and angular eyes all suggest a date around 500 BCE, prior to the introduction of Greek Severe Style traits (cf., AAP-AM-1172;, AAP-AM-2148;, AAP-AM-2314) in the first half of the fifth century BCE
Bibliography Unpublished
Sketchfab Media URL
AAP-AM-4632-model
Suggested Citation

Derek Counts, Erin Averett, Kevin Garstki. (2020) "AAP-AM-4632 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/45065b05-a8e1-4cf7-9d53-3c665707d217> ARK (Archive): https://n2t.net/ark:/28722/k2vq39g4p

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