statue

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Object Type
Museum number: 1917,0701.233
Description: Upper part of a colossal limestone statue of a bearded man, a worshipper or possibly a priest. The complete statue, at least 2m tall, depicted a standing figure in a frontal pose; he wears pleated tunic (chiton) and over the left shoulder a cloak (himation) with a zig-zag fold on the border. The stump of the right arm is preserved at an angle indicating it extended outwards; the preserved top of a laurel where the left arm emerges from the cloak suggests it was orignially held by the side. The man wears a laurel wreath and a band decorated flowers on his head. The beard consists of five rows of snail-curls - broken on each side by moustache rendered with incised lines - below which are zig-zag curls. Pronounced cheek-bones and nose; the eyes are defined by ridges; the face is shown with a slight smile.
Cultures/periods
Production date: 450 BC-425 BC
Production place: Made in: Cyprus
Excavator/field collector
Findspot: Excavated/Findspot: Sanctuary of Apollo (Idalion), Sanctuary of Apollo Amyklos-Reshef Mikal
Materials
Type series
Technique
Dimensions: Height: 1.04 metres
Curator's comments: See Hermary 2005 for a definitive discussion of the dating and stylistic connections of this sculpture (with key bibliography). Senff 1993 provides a comprehensive account of the sculpture from the sanctuary of Apollo-Reshef, and a discussion of the temenos (Poole and Lang 1878) but see Tatton-Brown 2002 for a complete list of all the material (including the unpublished terracottas). Bibliography: Hermary A. 2005, 'Les derniers temps du royaume d'Idalion et son annexion par Kition. Le témoignage des sculptures', CCEC 35 (2005), 99-126. Poole S. and Lang R.H. 1878, 'Narrative of excavations in a temple at Dali (Idalium) in Cyprus', Transactions of the Royal Society of Literature 11 (2nd series), 30-54. Senff R. 1993, Das Apolloheiligtum von Idalion. Architektur und Statuenausstattung eines zyprischen Heiligtums. SIMA XCIV (Jonsered). Tatton-Brown V. 2002, 'The kingdom of Idalion. Lang's excavations in the British Museum', CCEC 32 (2002), 243-256
Bibliographic references: Sculpture / Catalogue of Greek Sculpture in the British Museum (C154); Gaber Regional Styles / Regional styles in Cypriote sculpture. The sculpture from Idalion (cat. no. 27, p. 115 & pl. 27); SCE IV/2 / The Swedish Cyprus Expedition. Vol. IV. Part 2. The Cypro-Geometric, Cypro-Archaic and Cypro-Classical periods. (pl. XVI); Senff 1993 / Das Apolloheiligtum von Idalion. Architektur und Statuenausstattung eines zyprischen Heiligtums. (36 & pl. 18, a-g)
Location: On display (G72)
Subjects: king/queen (?); devotee/worshipper
Associated names: Associated with: Apollo; Associated with: Reshef-Mikal (?)
Acquisition date: 1917
Department: Greek and Roman
Registration number: 1917,0701.233
Conservation: Treatment: 29 Nov 2012; Treatment: 20 Jan 2004

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