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Limestone head of a bearded man

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Limestone head of a bearded man

Period:
Archaic
Date:
early 6th century B.C.
Culture:
Cypriot
Medium:
Limestone
Dimensions:
Overall: 35 x 14 x 23 in. (88.9 x 35.6 x 58.4 cm)
Classification:
Stone Sculpture
Credit Line:
The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
Accession Number:
74.51.2857

This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 174

  • Description

    The head belonged to a figure of over lifesize proportions. The conical cap, identifying him as an individual of high rank, appears at the end of the eighth century B.C. in the Levant and had reached Cyprus by the mid-seventh century B.C. It is characterized by a protuberance at the top and flaps at the sides that could be let down or fastened up by the ties ending in tassels. While, unfortunately, nothing of the body remains, the head represents a very early and impressive example of this figural type. The articulation of the beard, with its round, generalized curls, is often interpreted as an indication of the influence of terracotta sculpture on stoneworking.

  • Provenance

    Golgoi–Ayios Photios, “near the temple”

  • References

    Karageorghis, Vassos. 2000. Ancient Art from Cyprus. The Cesnola Collection. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, no. 171, p. 108.

    Picón, Carlos A., et al. 2007. Art of the Classical World in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, no. 283, pp. 243, 462.

    Counts, Derek B. 2011. "Local Styles and Regional Trends in Cypriot Limestone Sculpture." In Crossroads and Boundaries: The Archaeology of Past and Present in the Malloura Valley, Cyprus, edited by Michael K. Toumazou, P. Nick Kardulias, and Derek B. Counts. Boston: American Schools of Oriental Research, pp. 154-55, fig. 11.4.

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    Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
    MetPublications
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