Trunk and thighs of a Cycladic male statue

Male figures are rare in Cycladic sculpture of the Early Bronze Age (3200-2000 BC). They occur only in specific types of figurines (as musicians, hunters or warriors, and in a few examples of the so-called "Plastiras type"). The renowned male figure in the Museum of Cycladic Art, said to come from Amorgos, is one of the very few examples represented in the upright pose, which was standard for the hundreds of "canonical" female figurines. It is also the only known male figure of monumental dimensions; its original height must have been about 1 metre. In contrast to other male figurines, in which the genitalia are indicated summarily or not at all, the penis here is modelled in the round. Some researchers ascribe this figure to a sculptor known conventionally as the "Goulandris Master". The size of the figure has led some scholars to suggest that it may represent a male deity, even though the rarity of standing male figurines makes any interpretation difficult.