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Menil

Figure, Spedos type, 2700-2300 BCE
Early Cycladic II, Keros-Syros
Greece, Cyclades Islands
Marble
8 7/8 × 3 7/8 × 2 5/8 in. (22.5 × 9.8 × 6.7 cm)
3-D Object/Sculpture
CA 6018

Photo: Paul Hester
Image 2: Photo: Paul Hester
Ca 6018 20180412 v03 m
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Collected by the de Menils in the 1960s, this Cycladic figure is broken at the neck and the knees, with only the core preserved.  The breasts and pubic triangle identify the figure as female. Belonging to the Early Cycladic II period (approximately 2700-2300 BCE), it represents one of the canonical varieties: the Spedos type. Other works in the Menil Collection are also categorized as the Spedos type, including CA 6019, CA 62038, and 1962-09 DJ. 


This particular object is attributed to the Goulandris Sculptor or Master (active 2500/2400 BCE), an ancient sculptor (or possibly a workshop) whose name is unknown  but is associated with approximately fifty Early Cycladic II figures produced during the peak production of these marble sculptures. Attributed works share stylistic similarities including the sloping shoulders, curved line at the front base of the neck, thin upper arms, small pubic triangle, curvature of the buttocks, and groove between the legs.