The Getty Villa

Fertility Goddess Unknown Chalcolithic, Cyprus, 3000 - 2500 B.C. Limestone 15 3/8 x 10 1/4 x 16 9/16 in. 83.AA.38 Cypriot female figurines are clearly associated with fertility and childbirth, and this figure with her flattened thighs is squatting in a birthing position. The detailed head of the woman with added facial features and hair atop an elongated neck contrasts with her highly schematized body with its large pendent breasts. The double-roped bands on the arms may represent some form of jewelry. Female figurines are found throughout the Mediterranean in the third millennium B.C. Over one hundred cruciform figures made in southwestern Cyprus in the period 3000 - 2500 B.C. are known, but almost all are considerably smaller in scale than this example. Only one other figure of this large size is known; these two may have served as cult images representing a fertility goddess. The figure's left arm, with its clearly visible attachment holes, was repaired in antiquity. This repair attests to the figure's value and importance to the ancient Cypriots. Text from: www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=12346

Fertility Goddess Unknown Chalcolithic, Cyprus, 3000 - 2500 B.C. Limestone 15 3/8 x 10 1/4 x 16 9/16 in. 83.AA.38 Cypriot female figurines are clearly associated with fertility and childbirth, and this figure with her flattened thighs is squatting in a birthing position. The detailed head of the woman with added facial features and hair atop an elongated neck contrasts with her highly schematized body with its large pendent breasts. The double-roped bands on the arms may represent some form of jewelry. Female figurines are found throughout the Mediterranean in the third millennium B.C. Over one hundred cruciform figures made in southwestern Cyprus in the period 3000 - 2500 B.C. are known, but almost all are considerably smaller in scale than this example. Only one other figure of this large size is known; these two may have served as cult images representing a fertility goddess. The figure's left arm, with its clearly visible attachment holes, was repaired in antiquity. This repair attests to the figure's value and importance to the ancient Cypriots. Text from: www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=12346

Lidded Container with a Herringbone Pattern Early Cycladic, 3000-2800 BC Terracotta pyxis Inventory # 91.AE.28, 91.AE 30 Text from the Getty Villa museum label.

Miniature Throne Mycenaean, 1425-1100 BC Terracotta Inventory # 96.AD.66 This small chair served as a seat for a statuette, perhaps a throne for a deity. Figures of seated women, made separately or as one piece with a chair, have been found at many religious, domestic, and burial sites from the Mycenaean period. Text from the Getty Villa museum label.

Miniature Throne Mycenaean, 1425-1100 BC Terracotta Inventory # 96.AD.66 This small chair served as a seat for a statuette, perhaps a throne for a deity. Figures of seated women, made separately or as one piece with a chair, have been found at many religious, domestic, and burial sites from the Mycenaean period. Text from the Getty Villa museum label.

Female Plank Figure Unknown Cypriot, 2000 - 1900 B. C. Terracotta 8 in. 2001.80 It may be difficult for modern viewers to recognize this abstract sculpture as a female figure. During the Early and Middle Bronze Ages (2500 - 1650 B.C.), Cypriot artists often depicted the female form in the shape of a plank. This terracotta example is decorated with alternating bands of incised geometric lines, which indicate patterned clothing and jewelry. A rather prominent nose has been carefully sculpted, and round eyes and a slightly open mouth have been clearly rendered. Near the shoulders, two protrusions indicating breasts provide the only clue to the figure's gender. Text from: www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=144484

Bowl with Scenes of Daily Life Unknown Cypriot, Cyprus, 2000 - 1900 B.C. Terracotta 16 3/4 in. 2001.78 This large bowl documents some of the activities of the Bronze Age society that produced it. On one side, eight figures are involved in various breadmaking tasks. Three appear to be kneading dough, while one grinds grain with a mortar and pestle, and another stands in front of an oven. On the other side of the bowl, four men are accompanied by a deer and another animal, perhaps a fawn or dog. Interspersed between these figures are unidentifiable objects; scholars think these may be associated with refining copper ore, an important industry in Cyprus. What inspired the meticulous decoration on this bowl? Because it was made so long ago, it is unlikely historians will ever know the answer to this question. One theory suggests that the small breadmakers were perhaps intended to be of service in the afterlife, preparing food for the deceased, while the men could be supplying highly valued metal goods. Although images of everyday life are rare in Cypriot art, scenes of breadmaking appear on similar ceramic objects found in tombs. This implies that the bowl may have been used for ceremonial purposes, perhaps during funerary rites. Text from: www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=144482

Jug with a Man and Deer Unknown Cypriot, 2300 - 1650 B.C. Terracotta 17 3/8 in. 2001.79 Well over a foot high, this large and unusually decorated jug is an impressive example of the aesthetic and technical achievement of ancient Bronze Age society on the island of Cyprus. Because it is made of highly durable terracotta, it is not surprising that the vessel survived for thousands of years; however, it is remarkable that the broken pieces of the vessel's exceptional three-dimensional decoration have survived to be reassembled. A sculptural scene that may depict a daily activity or a religious ritual adorns the shoulder of the jug. The scene shows a man sitting on a low stool next to a large bowl, and a small jug of the same shape rests between his feet. Nearby are two spotted deer, one stag, and one doe. Before cattle were introduced to Cyprus, deer were the largest animals found there. Scholars believe that the man may be preparing to milk the doe or to collect its blood in the basin as part of a religious activity. Text from: www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=144483

Bowl with Cattle and a Vulture Unknown Cypriot, 2300 - 1900 B.C. Terracotta 13 5/8 x 11 13/16 in. 2001.81 Symbols of both life and death decorate the rim of this footed bowl, whose fragile nature suggests that it was intended for use in funerary rituals or as a burial gift for the grave of the deceased. The figure of the standing bull represents fertility and strength, while the vulture is associated with death and the afterlife. Atop two vertical poles are the heads of bulls, which probably served as a protective device to ward off evil. Two bowls--positioned like handles--mimic the vessel's shape while completing its decoration. Text from: www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=144485

Bull's Head Bottle for Scented Oil Mycenaean, 1300-1200 BC Terracotta Aryballos Text from the Getty Villa museum label.

Title: Female Figure of the Kilia Type Artist/Maker: Unknown Culture: Near Eastern (Anatolian) Place: Anatolia (present-day Turkey) (Place created) Date: 4500–3500 B.C. Medium: Marble Object Number: 88.AA.122 Dimensions: 14.3 × 5.4 × 3.6 cm (5 5/8 × 2 1/8 × 1 7/16 in.) Alternate Titles: Female Figure (Display Title) Object Type: Female figure Female figures were made throughout the Aegean basin during the prehistoric period, including in the region of ancient Anatolia (present-day Turkey). This figure represents a highly stylized standing nude female. Her bulbous head, long neck, and flat body are characteristic of the Kilia type of female figurines, named after the village in northwest Turkey where the first examples were found. Carved from translucent white marble, these figures typically have carefully detailed eyes, noses, and ears. Although the ears and nose of this statuette are defined by carving, the eyes originally would have been enhanced with paint. An incised triangle emphasizing the pubic area confirms the statuette’s identity as female. Additional incisions on the front of the figure outline the tops of the thighs, while a horizontal line accents the hips across the back. Although the Kilia type statuettes of women are considerably earlier in date than related figures produced in the Cyclades, they are probably also linked with fertility and the life cycle, a central spiritual concern in the ancient Mediterranean. Text from: www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/12948/unknown-maker-female-figure-of-the-kilia-type-near-eastern-anatolian-4500-3500-bc

Harp Player Unknown Cycladic, 2700 - 2300 B.C. Marble 14 1/8 x 3 3/4 x 11 1/16 in. 85.AA.103 The vast majority of Cycladic sculptures represent standing or reclining female figures. Only five percent of the figures are males; unlike the females, most males are depicted doing something, often playing an instrument. Fewer than a dozen of these male harpists are known, and this example is by far the largest. This harp player, seated on a four legged stool, is also unusual in that, unlike the others, he does not actually play his harp; he merely holds it, resting its soundbox on his thigh. Text from: www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=12928

Harp Player Unknown Cycladic, 2700 - 2300 B.C. Marble 14 1/8 x 3 3/4 x 11 1/16 in. 85.AA.103 The vast majority of Cycladic sculptures represent standing or reclining female figures. Only five percent of the figures are males; unlike the females, most males are depicted doing something, often playing an instrument. Fewer than a dozen of these male harpists are known, and this example is by far the largest. This harp player, seated on a four legged stool, is also unusual in that, unlike the others, he does not actually play his harp; he merely holds it, resting its soundbox on his thigh. Text from: www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=12928

Head of a Large Female Figure Unknown Cycladic, 2600 - 2500 B.C. Marble and pigment 9 x 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 in. 96.AA.27 With their starkly elegant and simplified rendering of the human form, Cycladic sculptures often strike viewers as quite modern. This head preserves some of the original effect of these figures, on which facial features, hair, and occasionally jewelry were added in paint. Short vertical lines on the forehead, a stripe on the nose, and bands of dots on the cheeks and chin--all added in red and black pigment--may be cosmetic lines or tattooing. While most of these sculptures were under a foot tall, this head was from one of the rare examples that were approximately life-size. Most Cycladic figures are found in graves, and they may have had some religious function connected with the afterlife. Text from: www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=35612

Large Female Figure with Incised Toes (figurine on the left) Attributed to the Steiner Master Cycladic, 2500 - 2400 B.C. Marble 23 9/16 in. 88.AA.80 Reclining with her arms crossed, this female figure is typical of the sculpture of the Cyclades in the mid-2000s B.C. Scholars have divided Cycladic sculpture into groups or types indicating stylistic and chronological developments. Named for a cemetery on the island of Naxos, the Spedos type was the most common of Cycladic figures: a slender elongated female with folded arms characterized by a U-shaped head and a deeply incised, but not cut-through, cleft between the legs. The figure's relaxed, slanting feet indicate her reclining position. This late example of a Spedos figure shows the further characteristic trait of a straight profile with little bend in the knees. This piece is unusually large and finely carved for a late Spedos figure. Text from:http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=15054 and Female Figure with Missing Feet (figurine on the right) Possibly the Kontoleon Master Cycladic, 2700 - 2600 B.C. Marble 19 5/16 in. 88.AA.78 By around 2700 B.C., Cycladic sculptors had developed a form of carved figure that would become canonical: a reclining female with folded arms. The Kapsala type, named after a cemetery on the island of Amorgos, was the earliest of these canonical types. Kapsala figures tend to have slender and elongated proportions. In an effort to avoid breakage, the legs of the figure are only partially separated; the feet of this figure have broken off. Anatomical features such as arms are modeled three-dimensionally, whereas in later types, sculptors rendered this feature with incised lines. The Getty Museum's piece is unusually large for a Kapsala figure. Text from: www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=15052

Canonical Female Figures By about 2700 BC, the folded-arm type had become the standard, or canonical, form for female sculpture in the Cyclades. Shared characteristics include include a flat, rectangular body, sloping shoulders, slightly protuberant breasts, arms separated by incisions, the left forearm always folded above the right, and an incised pubic triangle. On the figure with its head preserved, the mouth is carved in shallow relief. This is unusual, for in this type the nose is the only facial feature that is consistently shown in relief. Female Figure with a Carved Mouth (left) Early Cycladic, 2600-2400 BC Marble Accession # 88.AA.48 and Torso of a Female Figure (right) Early Cycladic, 2500-2400 BC Marble Accession # 88.AA.81 Text from the Getty Villa museum label.

Title: Female Figure of the Precanonical type Artist/Maker: Unknown Culture: Cycladic Place: Cyclades, Greece (Place created) Date: 2800–2700 B.C. Medium: Marble Object Number: 72.AA.156 Dimensions: 28.5 × 6.4 × 3 cm (11 1/4 × 2 1/2 × 1 3/16 in.) Alternate Titles: Female Figure (Display Title) Object Type: Female figure Details in the carving of this Cycladic figure identify it as a precanonical type (about 2800-2700 B.C.)—a transitional phase in the development of this kind of sculpture. Although the partially folded arms foreshadow the later canonical Kapsala and Spedos types (named after Early Cycladic cemeteries on the islands of Amorgos and Naxos, respectively) with completely overlapping arms, the figure is still very much related to the earlier Plastiras type (named after a cemetery on Paros) in its elongated neck, modeled limbs, and hands just meeting on the torso. The sculptor of the piece was also still quite interested in naturalistic details. He sculpted the nose, arms, navel, and knees in relief, and indicated the eyes, brows, and ears with shallow, incised lines. Although the almond-shaped eyes and indications of the brows are related to those features painted on later figures, their sculptural rendering connects them to earlier traditions. The modeling and attempted naturalism of the forearms and hands reflect a short-lived approach taken by some sculptors of precanonical figures. Although the findspot of the great majority of Cycladic figures is unknown, many of those with known contexts have been found placed on their backs in graves. Not all Early Cycladic graves contain such sculptures, however, and several examples have been found in settlement and sanctuary contexts, indicating a more complex and perhaps multifaceted usage. In ceremonial use, the figures would have been held or carried upright in procession. Hundreds of fragments were found in a sanctuary on the island of Keros, deliberately shattered and ritually discarded. Although the figures’ role and meaning in Cycladic culture remain elusive, the fact that the majority of Early Cycladic figures are female, and are represented nude, suggests they are probably linked with the idea of fertility and reproduction, which was a central spiritual concern of ancient Mediterranean religions. Text from: www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/7006/unknown-maker-female-figure-of-the-precanonical-type-cycladic-2800-2700-bc