| Descriptive Attribute | Value(s) |
|---|---|
| Type | Warriors, Horses, and Chariots |
| Title | Warrior Figurine |
| Excavation Unit | 58 |
| Stratigraphic Unit | 5806 |
| Context | Found among a scatter of limestone cobbles, resting above the surface of an elevated platform (?) in the northwestern part of the excavated sanctuary (EU 58/SU 5806). |
| Current Location | Larnaka District Archaeological Museum, Cyprus |
| Material | Terracotta |
| Height (cm) | 9.52 |
| Width (cm) | 5.46 |
| Date | 600 – 500 BCE |
| Thickness (cm) | 4.66 |
| Weight (kg) | 0.092 |
| Description | Handmade male warrior figurine wearing a conical helmet, broken at the waist; both arms are broken just below the shoulder. The conical helmet, painted with a dark red pigment, terminates in a long, bent-back fold that falls down the back of the headdress. Shoulder-length hair, with black pigment preserved, protrudes in a triangular pattern from beneath the helmet to either side of the neck. The face is broad and cylindrical, with large, almond-shaped eyes, downturned at the outer corner, rendered with black outlines and a dot pupil. Arched eyebrows are also rendered with black pigment. Small, oval ears (the proper right slightly larger) were applied asymmetrically to the side of the head between the bottom of the cap and the start of the hair. A large triangular nose was applied between the eyes. The chin is modeled to form a long, rectangular beard that juts forward from the plane of the face. An “X” iss painted in dark red across the torso. A small piece of added rectangular clay, broken, is preserved beneath the proper left arm; this is likely the hilt from a sword. The fabric has many small and medium dark red and purple inclusions; the wash is pale yellowish tan on the exterior (2.5Y 8/2) with a pale grayish-green interior (5Y 7/2). The surface has many calcareous encrustations. |
| Commentary | Warrior figures of various scales and materials were popular dedications at Cypriot sanctuaries in the CA–CC periods and were especially prevalent at those of male deities. Despite the link between warrior iconography and the elite males who defined their social status by their military prowess, such overt military images are found most abundantly in small-scale terracotta figurines; this belies any simplistic correlations among status, dedication size, and expense. AAP-AM-5151 is generally similar to other CA handmade warrior figurines, some of which rode in chariot groups, that were dedicated at sanctuaries across the island and placed in some tombs. There are several fragments from similar warrior figurines from the Malloura sanctuary, but this example is almost identical to AAP-AM-5140, making it possible that the pair rode in a chariot and might have been produced by the same coroplast or workshop. The style of the facial features and helmet date AAP-AM-5151 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 the helmet style likely made from leather or soft material). The style of the facial features, the flaring hair, and the type of helmet with a bent-back, pointed fold are closely paralleled by a CA Cypriot 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). The piece of added clay under the proper left arm is most likely the hilt of a sword held tucked under the left arm; this pose is found on warrior figurines from Ayia Irini, Amathous, Larnaka, and elsewhere (see Karageorghis 1995: 34–36, cat. nos. 1, 2, 3–10, pls. XVI–XVII). This stylistic date for AAP-AM-5151 makes its findspot all the more significant. This warrior figurine, together with several other CA offerings (in particular it was found right below the female mask AAP-AM-5115), was found associated with a stone feature (perhaps a platform) constructed during the Hellenistic phase of the sanctuary in a layer that contained purely Hellenistic ceramics. This further corroborates evidence that not all earlier votives were gathered and used as fill for the reorganized Hellenistic sanctuary, but rather at least some remained visible, perhaps on display (e.g., AAP-AM-96; AAP-AM-1108) or in storage in the reorganized sanctuary (e.g., AAP-AM-830; AAP-AM-851). |
| Bibliography | Unpublished |
| Sketchfab Media URL |
Alternate link to 3D Model: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/aap-am-5151-3b334307c0c24b19bf09880f7abda229
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| Descriptive Attribute | Value(s) |
|---|---|
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Consists of
Vocabulary: CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model (CRM) |
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Has type
Vocabulary: CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model (CRM) |
sculpture (visual works)
Vocabulary: Getty Art and Architecture Thesaurus Open Context References: sculpture (visual works) |
Suggested Citation
Derek Counts, Erin Averett, Kevin Garstki. (2020) "AAP-AM-5151 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/88aac19a-91a8-4843-87f7-2502131e4d41> ARK (Archive): https://n2t.net/ark:/28722/k2n58wr97
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