Folded-arm figurine
This white marble object is known as a Folded-arm figurine.
Its origins lie in the Cyclades, a group of islands in the Aegean, southeast of mainland Greece. Archaeological evidence suggests that human settlement existed on these islands as early as the 6th millennium BC.
Made from marble, this Cycladic figurine dates to between 2700 and 2400BC. Incisions have been used to define the arms and legs. The lower arms, neck and head are missing. Stone tools such as a mallet were used to work the marble into a rough shape. To achieve the finer details, abrasive tools such as emery (a type of rock) were used.
We are used to seeing marble statues from Ancient Greece and Rome unpainted- these inspired the Renaissance sculptures we are so familiar with. But did you know that these were originally painted? These Cycladic figurines have been found with pigments of paint on them. Scientific analysis has shown that red, blue and black paint was used to indicate jewellery, decorative motifs and facial features.
Torso (of folded-arm figurine)/Stone,Marble/3rd or 4th Millennium BC/The Hunt Collection/PD
What were they used for?
There is no definite answer as to the exact purpose of these figurines. Due to the considerable looting that took place in the 20th century, the vast majority of the figurines do not have a known provenance or find context.
A significant number of the figurines have been identified as females. Therefore, it has been suggested that they are associated with fertility and childbirth and are perhaps meant to represent goddesses of fertility or nature. Some of the figurines show signs of wear around their middle which indicates that they may have been held. A number of scholars have suggested that they may have been held during rituals or even during childbirth.
A considerable number of the figurines have been discovered in a burial context. So, it is also possible that the figurines were offered as grave gifts. It has been observed that some figurines were broken before burial, meaning that a ritual breaking may have occurred before burial.
Over time, figurines became more intricate and complex. Some were created in seated positions or engaged in an activity. For example, in the image below, the figure plays a lyre.
Whatever their intended function, they were of clear cultural significance.
Cycladic figurine playing a lyre. Credit: National Archaeological Museum, Athens.
Map showing location of Cyclades islands.
Sources
Şahoğlu, Vasıf. “R. Tuncel & V. Şahoğlu, ‘Third Millennium BC Anthropomorphic Figurines of Western Anatolia, a Comparative View: Towards a Better Understanding of the Origins and Meanings of Cycladic Figurines’, in M. Marthari, C. Renfrew, M. Boyd (Eds.), Beyond the Cyclades, Oxbow Books, 2019, 150-164.” Beyond the Cyclades, Early Cycladic Sculpture in Context from Mainland Greece, the North and Eastern Aegean (2019):
Sotirakopoulou Peggy. “Cycladic figurines: an overview” in Mobile Images of Ancestral Bodies:
a millenium-long perspective from Iberia to Europe Vol. II. Primitiva. Bueno Ramírez and Jorge A. Soler Díaz (eds.) Museo Arqueológico Regional de la Comunidad de Madrid. 2021.
The Hunt Museum Essential Guide. Scala Publishers. 2002.
