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statue
Object Type
statue
Museum number
1872,0816.47
Description
Head of a limestone statue of a woman with 'melon' hairstyle; oval face with a faint smile, almond-shaped eyes with strongly defined eyelids, prominent nose; her hair is drawn back in serried locks and bound into a bun at the back with a narrow band; features originally said by Pryce to imitate Arsinoe II (if not an actual portrait of her) but this may not necessarily be the case; carved from cream-coloured shelly limestone.
Cultures/periods
Hellenistic
Production date
300BC-250BC
Production place
Made in:
Cyprus
Excavator/field collector
Excavated by:
Sir Robert Hamilton Lang
Findspot
Excavated/Findspot:
Idalion
, Sanctuary of Apollo-Reshef
Materials
limestone
Technique
carved
Dimensions
Height:
11 centimetres
(max)
Curator's comments
This is the only female statue of Hellenistic date from Lang's excavations at Idalion, though the presence of the Arsinoeion attested by Inscription suggests more were originally dedicated here.
Bibliographic references
Sculpture / Catalogue of Greek Sculpture in the British Museum
(C347)
Tatton-Brown 2007 / From Evagoras I to the Ptolemies. The transition from the Classical to the Hellenistic period in Cyprus.
(No. 5 p. 186 and fig. 5)
Senff 1993 / Das Apolloheiligtum von Idalion. Architektur und Statuenausstattung eines zyprischen Heiligtums.
(p. 58-9, 83; pl. 43 j-m)
Location
Not on display
Subjects
devotee/worshipper
Associated names
Associated with:
Arsinoe II
Acquisition name
Purchased from:
Sir Robert Hamilton Lang
Acquisition date
1872
Department
Greek and Roman
Registration number
1872,0816.47
Additional IDs
Miscellaneous number:
1917,0701.61