Cycladic seated figurine - 'the cup-bearer'

In addition to the numerous female figurines, the sculptors of the Cyclades in the 3rd millennium BC produced a series of elegant compositions of "special form". Among them are standing and seated males engaged in an activity (musicians, flute-players and lyre-players), seated females, and groups of two or three figures. Most of these works date from the early phase of the Early Cycladic II period (2800-2300 BC). The "cup-bearer' in the Museum of Cycladic Art is a rare type of seated figure and the only intact example of its kind to date. Although the gender is not indicated, it is considered to represent a male figure because it is shown "in action". The figure sits on an integral marble stool and holds a cup in its right hand, poised as if ready to propose a toast or perform a libation. Specific morphological elements, such as the plasticity of the volumes and the parted legs, place the figurine among the early works of the so-called "Spedos variety". Works such as this depart from the immobility of the "canonical" female figurines and succeed in conveying movement, thus conquering, as it were, three-dimensional space, as well as a sense of time. The use of most "special" figurines remains enigmatic, but the fact that certain types are reproduced suggests that they had a specific function, possibly as votive offerings or ritual objects.