Cycladic female statue (canonical type, Spedos variety)

Most Cycladic figurines are small, rarely exceeding 40 cm. in height. This statue of unknown provenance is one of two intact monumental sculptures surviving from the Cyclades. The other (h. 1.49 m.) was found on Amorgos and is exhibited in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens. Four heads, in the Museum of Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the J. Paul Getty Museum and a private collection in North America, must have belonged to figures of similar size. All these statues display traits of canonical figurines, with small differences, such as the modelled ears. It is clear that they, too, were decorated originally with colours. On the back of the head of this statue there is a surface preserved in very low relief; this surface indicates that the hair was originally shown in colour, which protected this area from erosion.The sculpture is distinguished by its attenuation, plasticity and harmonious proportions, typical traits of the early works of the Spedos variety, and attests to the Cycladic sculptor's ability to handle marble skilfully even in monumental dimensions.The function of Cycladic "statues" is enigmatic. However, their size rather precludes their use as grave goods. Although any interpretation is inevitably speculative, some researchers consider that these works were cult statues or effigies of one or more female divinities. If the suggestion is true, then these large Cycladic sculptures are the first monumental images of deities in the Aegean.