• Display number in vitrine: 49
Previous Publications: Laumonier (1956: 155, pl. 46, no. 461)
Height: 130.7 mm
Iconographic type: Female head, related to the “Oriental Aphrodite” group, with crown incorporating multiple tiers of radiate rays; the roughly oval-shaped, partially broken appliques at the left side of the topmost tier of the headgear may represent leaves or flowers (Chapter 4.2.2.2) . This head is larger than most in the “Oriental Aphrodite” group, and it comes from a mold series without direct connections to any of the other figurines in that group; however, A2482’s multitiered crown with radiate rays and probable vegetal elements finds its best parallels in the iconography of “Oriental Aphrodite” figurines.
Archaeological Context: Uncertain (Chapter 5.10.3)
Fabric Type: Reddish “Cycladic” fabric, untempered, levigated (Chapter 2.5.3)
Manufacturing Techniques:
• Type of temper used (Chapter 3.4.1): Untempered
• Number of molds used (Chapter 3.4.2): Too fragmentary to tell
• Condition of mold: Very good
• Solid or hollow: Hollow
• Presence of vents (Chapter 3.4.3)? Too fragmentary to tell
• Presence of separate base? Too fragmentary to tell
• Presence of visible fingerprints? No
• Evidence of reworking (Chapter 3.4.3)? Some striations from surface smoothing (either with fingers, or a fine cloth) are present on the very small surviving fragment of the crown’s back side.
• Handmade applique elements present (Chapter 3.4.2)? Radiate rays at base of stephane; leaves or flowers (?) at the left side of topmost tier of crown; earrings
• Method of attachment of head, limbs, etc. (Chapter 3.4.2): Too fragmentary to tell. The large size of this head may also suggest that it could have functioned as a stand-alone piece, rather than having been attached to a body
• Evidence of “bubbles” created by plaster mold (Chapter 3.4.2)? No
• Appearance of back of figurine: Very little of back is preserved
• Presence of preserved slip, self-slip, and/or limewash (Chapters 3.4.4, 3.4.5)? Limewash
• Presence of preserved paint (Chapter 3.4.5)? Yellow (10YR 6/6) on both tiers of radiate rays; the thin band that runs underneath the upper row of radiate rays; earrings; hair at right side of head; and inside left eyeball Gilding overlies yellow paint on both tiers of radiate rays and the thin band underneath the upper tier. Blue (MICHEL color: 31-34-6) traces on stephane between the tiers of radiate rays. Dark red (2.5YR 3/4) on mouth.
• Evidence for repair: No evidence for repair in antiquity. Modern restorers have used plaster to rejoin the figurine from three broken sherds; restorers have also permanently glued the figurine to a plastic base
Photograph: Fig D14
Previous Publications: Laumonier (1956: 146, pl. 43, no. 391)
Height: 63.7 mm
Iconographic type: “Oriental Aphrodite” head with corkscrew curls (Chapter
4.2.1.4) and multi-tiered crown incorporating floral elements (Chapter 4.2.2.2)
Archaeological Context: Uncertain (Chapter 5.10.3)
Fabric Type: Reddish “Cycladic” fabric, possibly limestone-tempered, with visible
Zoning at breaks (Chapter 2.5.3)
Manufacturing Techniques:
• Type of temper used (Chapter 3.4.1): Possible use of crushed limestone temper (Chapter 2 5 3)
• Number of molds used (Chapter 3.4.2): Single mold for head (though intact examples suggest that the body was probably double-molded)
• Condition of mold: Very good, especially on crown; mold appears to have been quite new.
• Solid or hollow: Solid (though intact examples suggest that the body was probably hollow)
• Presence of vents (Chapter 3.4.3)? Figurine head is solid, but the coroplast did cut a single vertical slash into the hand-applied blob of clay on the back of the head. This fairly purposeful-looking cut may have been designed to allow any air bubbles, trapped beneath the hand-applied clay, to escape
• Presence of separate base? Too fragmentary to tell
• Presence of visible fingerprints? No
• Evidence of reworking (Chapter 3.4.3)? Some minimal retooling of the outline of floral elements in topmost tier of crown
• Handmade applique elements present (Chapter 3.4.2)? Projecting blob of clay at back of head; earrings; corkscrew curls
• Method of attachment of head, limbs, etc. (Chapter 3.4.2): Too fragmentary to tell
• Evidence of “bubbles” created by plaster mold (Chapter 3.4.2)? No
• Appearance of back of figurine: Roughly modeled; clay projection at the back of head may have been designed for the coroplast to grip while removing figurine from mold
• Presence of preserved slip, self-slip, and/or limewash (Chapters 3.4.4, 3.4.5)? Limewash
• Presence of preserved paint (Chapter 3.4.5)? Yellow traces (10YR 7/8) all over crown and on right earring. A small yellow trace on left cheek probably reflects careless application of paint on the now-lost applique earring that was once there. Dark red traces (10R 3/6 to 10R 3/4) in location of right eyebrow and at the bottom edge of right eye; was dark red perhaps used to outline the eyes and eyebrows? Trace of pink paint (MICHEL color: 23-0-3) on floral elements in topmost tier of crown.
• Evidence for repair: No alterations dating to antiquity. Modern museum restorers appear to have drilled a hole in the underside of the figurine’s solid neck, however, in order to mount the object on a stand
Photograph: Fig D46
Inventory Number in the Delos Museum: A2498 Previous Publications: Laumonier (1956: 146, pl. 42, no. 387)
Height: 67.7 mm
Iconographic type: Head and torso of an “Oriental Aphrodite” figurine of the seated, clothed type, wearing a central medallion on the chest (Chapter 4.2.2.3) and a multi-tiered crown incorporating floral elements (Chapter 4.2.2.2) .
Archaeological Context: Private house in the Stadium Quarter (Chapter 5.3.3)
Fabric Type: Reddish “Cycladic” fabric, untempered, levigated; visible zoning at breaks (Chapter 2.5.3)
Manufacturing Techniques:
• Type of temper used (Chapter 3.4.1): Untempered
• Number of molds used (Chapter 3.4.2): Double-molded
• Condition of mold: Quite worn
• Solid or hollow: Hollow
• Presence of vents (Chapter 3.4.3)? Too fragmentary to tell
• Presence of separate base? Too fragmentary to tell, though figurines of this type generally do not have a separate base
• Presence of visible fingerprints?
• Evidence of reworking (Chapter 3.4.3)? Addition of extra clay on the back side of crown to provide support for this potentially fragile part of the figurine
• Handmade applique elements present (Chapter 3.4.2)? No
• Method of attachment of head, limbs, etc. (Chapter 3.4.2): Head and limbs were molded together with body, not attached separately
• Evidence of “bubbles” created by plaster mold (Chapter 3.4.2)? No
• Appearance of back of figurine: Roughly modeled, with slightly more attention than usual paid to the appearance of the drapery on the back side
• Presence of preserved slip, self-slip, and/or limewash (Chapters 3.4.4, 3.4.5)? Well-preserved limewash. In addition to the final covering of limewash, there may also be a thinner wash below that, but it is difficult to be certain.
• Presence of preserved paint (Chapter 3.4.5)? Yellow (10YR 7/8) on crown, medallion, band from which medallion appears to hang, drapery in center of stomach, and eyeballs. Pink (MICHEL color: 23-0-3) on the rest of the drapery, as well as the flower buds on the topmost tier of the crown Red-brown (2 5YR 3/4) on hair
• Evidence for repair: No
• Other: This figurine probably comes from a derivative mold (that is, a mold made by using another finished figurine as a patrix)
Photograph: Figs. F1, F2, D19
Previous Publications: Laumonier (1956: 259-260, pl. 90, no. 1206)
Height: 48.8 mm
Iconographic type: Pseudo-“Baubo” (Isiac/Hathoric female in labor) (Chapter
4.3.3, esp. 4.3.3.2)
Archaeological Context: Uncertain (Chapter 5.10.3)
Fabric Type: Reddish “Cycladic” fabric, untempered, levigated (Chapter 2.5.3)
Manufacturing Techniques:
• Type of temper used (Chapter 3.4.1): Untempered
• Number of molds used (Chapter 3.4.2): Double-molded
• Condition of mold: Apparently fairly good, but the preserved portion of this figurine does not include detailed areas such as the head, where the mold condition would be most apparent
• Solid or hollow: Hollow
• Presence of vents (Chapter 3.4.3)? Pinhole, about 2 mm in diameter, between the legs. This hole may primarily have served to affix the figurine upon a stand (see Chap. 4.3.3.2), but it would also have acted as a venthole during firing
• Presence of separate base? No. A peg, now lost, may have affixed the figurine to a stand (see above) .
• Presence of visible fingerprints? No
• Evidence of reworking (Chapter 3.4.3)? Minimal retooling; piercing of hole between legs
• Handmade applique elements present (Chapter 3.4.2)? No
• Method of attachment of head, limbs, etc. (Chapter 3.4.2): Head and limbs come from the same double mold as body
• Evidence of “bubbles” created by plaster mold (Chapter 3.4.2)? No
• Appearance of back of figurine: Roughly modeled
• Presence of preserved slip, self-slip, and/or limewash (Chapters 3.4.4, 3.4.5)? Limewash
• Presence of preserved paint (Chapter 3.4.5)? Traces of red paint (10R 4/8) in the slit of the vagina
• Evidence for repair: No
Previous Publications: Laumonier (1956: 142, no. 376), without photograph Height: 78 . 4 mm
Iconographic type: Harpocrates, wearing double crown, seated within a flower (Chapter 4.4.4)
Archaeological Context: Uncertain (Chapter 5.10.3)
Fabric, unlevigated, highly micaceous; visible
Fabric Typ e: Reddish “Cycladic” zoning at breaks (Chapter 2.5.3)
World History
