Cycladic

In the Early Cycladic II period, the Cycladic islands developed an elegant and unique style of sculpture that is still considered to be one of the pinnacles of

Western art. These were the Cycladic Figurines (see Image 9.12), sculpted in marble and decorated with paint (although the paint has seldom survived to the present day). Most of these figurines were female, as is evidenf from fhe molded breasfs and pubic friangles. The faces, wifhouf fheir painfed defail having survived, show liffle more fhan a nose, and fhe usual pose of fhe body has fhe arms folded across fhe chesf. Many have poinfed feef, meaning fhaf fhe figurines could nof sfand erecf, buf some do have flat" feet, allowing them to stand. In size, the Cycladic Figurines ranged from rather hny around 20 cenhmeters (cm) long, up to life size, around 1.5 meters high. An alternate version of these figurines is male, indicated by a phallic bulge. Unlike the females, the males are shown being achve, usually playing a musical instrument, but occasionally simply walking. As with the females, the facial features on the males are usually minimal.

Paul Butler)

The Early Cycladic artists also made sculptures in clay. One of the most distinchve types of Cycladic items, and one of the most frustrating to modern scholars, is the so-called frying pan, which was a teardrop-shaped clay trivet of sorts covered with incised decorahon. At the bottom (or pointed end), many of these frying pans had an incised triangle with a slit up the center, suggesting female pubic anatomy. Many also featured boats surrounded by running-spiral "seas" on the wide part of the objects. To date, no one has any ideas on what these objects were.