Kouros in the Walters Art Museum, September 2009

Kouros


Creator: Greek (Sculptor)

Period: ca. 530 BC (Archaic)

Medium: limestone (Sculpture)

Accession Number: 23.279

Measurements: 23 1/4 x 12 3/16 x 6 11/16 in. (59 x 31 x 17 cm)

Geography: Asia Minor (Place of Discovery)


A large stone figure of a nude youth with its left foot forward, called a "Kouros" (plural "Kouroi"), was the most common male representation during the Archaic period. Usually, these statues have their hands by their sides, but this one has the shoulders pulled back and the hands curiously set below the chest. The now-missing right hand was either attached to the side like the better-preserved left palm, or it was placed close to the body holding an offering. Like most "Kouroi," the statue was probably set in a sanctuary or marked the tomb of a young aristocrat.


Text from: art.thewalters.org/detail/9831/kouros/