| Descriptive Attribute | Value(s) |
|---|---|
| Type | Male Votaries with Vegetal Wreaths and Fillets and Sculpted Votive Offerings |
| Title | Male Votary Head with Vegetal Wreath |
| Excavation Unit | 24 |
| Stratigraphic Unit | 2467 |
| Context | Found in the construction fill of the hard-packed floor layer associated with the Hellenistic-Roman phase of the sanctuary (EU 24/SU 2467). |
| Current Location | Larnaka District Archaeological Museum, Cyprus |
| Material | Limestone |
| Height (cm) | 13.5 |
| Width (cm) | 10.6 |
| Date | 450 – 400 BCE |
| Thickness (cm) | 10.6 |
| Weight (kg) | 1.58 |
| Description | Under- life-size head of a male votary wearing a vegetal wreath, broken at the neck beneath the chin. Generally well- preserved, except for a large gash, which may have been intentional, on the left cheek and several holes on the face and top of the head. The sources/cause of the holes is unclear. The heavy, fleshy face is sculpted naturalistically. The almond-shaped eyes are set deeply into the sockets, with heavy upper lids indicated by relief lines; the inner corners taper. The eyes are set horizontally on the face; in profile, they slant inward at an oblique angle, breaking the frontal plane of the face. The large, straight nose slopes downward from the brow and has a rounded end; the top of the nose is flat. The cheeks are subtly rendered and postlabial grooves are modeled. The lips present a slight smile; the upper lip is significantly thinner than the full, lower lip. The jaw is likewise heavy with a prominent chin. The hair is arranged in parallel, thin, wavy strands angled slightly toward the front of the head. The wreath includes a single row of laurel leaves attached to a band; the crown of leaves slants inwards to the center from either side, but fails to meet in the middle, leaving a gap. A second row of oblong objects below the band might represent flower buds. The hair behind the wreath in the back and across the forehead, framing the ears to either side, consists of a series of wavy, vertical locks. The ears, large and stylized, protrude from the curls; the right ear is much better preserved than the left. No evidence of pigment. |
| Commentary | AAP-AM-2148 is an elegant, well-executed example of CC sculpture in the second half of the fifth -century BCE. The round, fleshy face and strong jaw betray influence from the Greek Severe Style, which can be seen in various examples from Cyprus in the second and third quarters of the fifth century BCE (see the commentary on AAP-AM-1172). A particularly significant feature of AAP-AM-2148 is the rendering of the hair below the wreath, represented by a series of zig-zag, vertical locks—a stylistic trait associated with Greek bronzes from the end of the Severe Style (Hermary and Mertens 2015: 116, with references). In Cyprus, the masterpiece of this particular rendering of the hair is the so-called “Apollo of Malloura” in the Musée du Louvre (Hermary 1989a: 315-–17, cat. no. 627). It is also during this same period (mid-fifth century BCE) that sculptors begin setting the eyes—sculpted with high-relief lids and round eyeballs—horizontally (rather than obliquely) on the face (e.g., AAP-AM-850;, AAP-AM-2314). A finely carved, but slightly larger, head from the sanctuary of Golgoi-Ayios Photios provides the closest parallel and may, in fact, come from the same regional workshop. The style is contemporary and the arrangement of the wreath and hair is identical (Hermary and Mertens 2015: 116, cat. no. 118; see also cat. no. 119, which is of similar date and type). In general, the type of wreath with is a combination of leaves and oblong “flower buds.” F. N. Pryce (1931: 55) first identified these accessories as beads,; while Hélène Cassimatis (1982: 160), in her important study of the various types of wreaths and attachments, calleds them acorns. Antoine Hermary (1989a: 126) identifieds them as “boutons de fleurs” (flower buds). As Cassimatis (1982: 160) pointed out, it would have been necessary to attach these embellishments to the wreath (whether they were a natural or artificial decoration). It seems clear, in any case, that the wreathed votary type with a second row of “flower buds” is common in the second half of the fifth century BCE, as on an example from the British Museum that, according to the c“Curator’s comments,” may be from the region of Athienou (e.g., Pryce 1931: 56, C 129; see also commentary for AAP-AM-2314). |
| Bibliography | Hadjisavas 2002: 708-709, fig. 63 |
| Sketchfab Media URL |
Alternate link to 3D Model: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/aap-am-2148-0b36075262794cc88d7f7f90284ad912
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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-2148 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/f23024a2-5bda-4c3e-8028-28341e502d76> ARK (Archive): https://n2t.net/ark:/28722/k2xg9zh2h
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