| Descriptive Attribute | Value(s) |
|---|---|
| Type | Male Votaries with Conical Helmets and Other Headgear |
| Title | Male Votary with Conical Helmet |
| Excavation Unit | 18 |
| Stratigraphic Unit | 1827 |
| Context | Found in the construction fill of the hard-packed floor layer associated with the Hellenistic-Roman phase of the sanctuary (EU 18/SU 1827). |
| Current Location | Kallinikeio Municipal Museum of Athienou, Cyprus |
| Material | Limestone |
| Height (cm) | 70.0 |
| Width (cm) | 22.5 |
| Date | 600 – 550 BCE |
| Thickness (cm) | 13.249 |
| Weight (kg) | 3.0 |
| Description | Limestone votary wearing a conical helmet; the statue was discovered in two pieces, now joined. The statue is relatively flat in profile and well-preserved with minor chips and weathering. The head is disproportionately large compared to the body. The conical helmet comes to a point toward the top rear of the head; two relief bands that run from the edge of the helmet to the top indicate the upturned cheekpieces. Locks of hair flank each side of the neck below the ears, flaring out from the bottom of the helmet. The head is slightly tilted to the right and the facial features are asymmetrical: the proper left eye and left ear are higher than their counterparts on the right side. The large, almond-shaped eyes have well-articulated, raised lids. The nose is straight and broad, missing the proper left nostril. The lips are short and thin, pursed with a slight smile; the small chin is prominent. The thick neck widens toward its base. The figure wears a long robe that falls vertically to the feet, flaring out around the ankles. A relief collar around the neck indicates a short-sleeved chiton (the sleeve is indicated, roughly, on the right arm). The proper left arm is bent at the elbow and held tightly against the chest with a clenched fist. The right arm hangs down straight along the body, with a clenched fist as well. In both cases, the thumb is large and prominent. The feet emerge from the bottom of the robe, resting together on a small, square base. No sign of pigment is preserved; chisel marks are visible across the surface. Natural discoloration on upper lip; unknown discoloration on right hand. Root residue and natural rock vein inclusions are evident passim. |
| Commentary | The type represented by AAP-AM-1574 (standing, beardless male with conical helmet wearing a short-sleeved chiton under a himation) is common among sanctuaries in and around the Mesaoria plain (e.g., Golgoi-Ayios Photios, Idalion, Tamassos) during the CA period and, thus, its presence at Malloura is expected. However, with the exception of a handful of small-scale figures in limestone and terracotta (e.g., AAP-AM-714; AAP-AM-1366+1595), AAP-AM-1574 is the only fully preserved statue among the thousands of fragments in limestone and terracotta discovered in the sanctuary of Athienou-Malloura and, by far, the largest at 70 cm tall. Likewise, despite the ubiquity of the type, the Malloura example offers an exceptionally rare variation with the left arm bent across the chest within the himation instead of the right. It is unclear if this departure from the norm signals anything more than artistic license. Other examples of standing males with the left arm bent across the chest exist, albeit from different types, usually with so-called “Egyptianizing” attributes (e.g., Hermary 1989a: 50, cat. no. 64, 2015: 65–67, cat. nos. 49–50; Senff 1993: 26–28, pl. 3a–d [BM C149];). Nevertheless, a scan of major collections that hold Cypriot limestone sculptures (e.g., MMA, Louvre, BM) fails to produce examples of draped males with conical helmets and the left arm bent (although the pose is reflected in another example from Malloura, in terracotta [AAP-AM-4653]). The piece is also distinguished by the use of raised, thick relief bands to indicate the helmet cheekpieces and the demarcated collar of the chiton—a local feature for rendering these attributes in stone. With respect to dating, as is often the case with early limestone sculpture in Cyprus, the facial features offer the most reliable indices. The body is flat and mostly concealed by the garment with only the cursorily sculpted feet exposed; yet, the large, almond-shaped eyes, set horizontally across the face, coupled with the pursed lips, prominent chin, and strong nose point to a date in the first half of the sixth century BCE. A convincing parallel, although less successful, is found on a statue from Golgoi-Ayios Photios now in the MMA (Hermary and Mertens 2015: 32, cat. no. 4). |
| Bibliography | Unpublished |
| Sketchfab Media URL |
Alternate link to 3D Model: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/aap-am-1574-24bc8dda1c074472bfa3ad42d564033d
|
| Descriptive Attribute | Value(s) |
|---|---|
|
Consists of
Vocabulary: CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model (CRM) |
|
|
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-1574 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/90558466-9c82-4fc7-be65-c691a13012aa> ARK (Archive): https://n2t.net/ark:/28722/k2j96hg3w
Editorial Status
●●●●●
Copyright License
To the extent to which copyright applies, this content
carries the above license. Follow the link to understand specific permissions
and requirements.
Required Attribution: Citation and reference of URIs (hyperlinks)
