Ancient Greece, Archaic Period, ca. 7th to 6th century BCE. A hollow-molded terracotta alabastron depicting a female kore, standing barefoot atop an integral ovoid plinth and wearing a flowing garment. She holds her left hand atop her slender chest and beneath petite breasts and holds her other arm tightly against her side, with plaited bangs draped atop sloping shoulders and framing her elegant neckline. Her serene visage consists of downturned almond-shaped eyes, a small nose, slender cheeks, and an Archaic smile, all beneath a neatly-arranged coiffure and a discoid rim. An elegant example of fine artistry from Archaic Greece! Size: 2.75" W x 9.875" H (7 cm x 25.1 cm); 10.3" H (26.2 cm) on included custom stand.
By the seventh century BCE, Greek art began to evolve from its embrace of the Geometric style, which was favored between approximately 1050 and 700 BCE, to a desire to create more naturalistic representations of the human figure. Most famous are the freestanding sculptures of two main types, the male standing youth known as a kouros, and the draped standing female kore. The earliest examples demonstrate an Egyptian influence in both pose and proportions, but over time sculptors created even more lifelike representations. These were placed in sanctuaries as well as cemeteries and served as grave markers and dedications to the deities.
This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full report will accompany purchase.
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-William Froelich collection, New York, USA, acquired in the 1970s
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#146813
Condition
Repaired from multiple large pieces, with several areas of restoration around arms, body, and face, with resurfacing and overpainting along new material and break lines. Minor nicks to rim, head, body, and base, with softening to finer details, and fading to original pigmentation. Light earthen deposits throughout. Two TL drill holes: one on base, and one on top.