Statuette of a Reclining Couple

Two human figures can be seen lying on a low bed. The left-hand figure, a man, places his left arm on the woman's breast. The hand-formed statuette followed the technique used for vases in that it was painted before firing. The lines that can be seen on the side of the bed indicate the rush matting streched over the wooden frame, while the wavy lines over the two figures indicate their shared blanket. At present this item seems to be a unique relic of Mycenaean Greek culture. Prototypes of its style are known from the island of Crete and of its type from Mesopotamia. This example is one of the earliest group compositions in Greek art, and may depict a sacred marriage.

János György Szilágyi