Beschreibung:

Title A Large Cycladic Marble Head Description Late Spedos Variety, Early Cycladic II, ca. 2500-2400 BC Once crowning an exceptionally large figure measuring 20 in (52 cm) or more in height, this head is a prime example of the elegance achieved by Cycladic sculptors of the 3rd millennium BC. The lyre-shaped, slightly convex head has broad cheeks, a long aquiline nose set high up, a rounded and shallow chin, and a delicate “finial” preserved on the right corner. Running across the high sloping forehead are traces of a painted band that continues on the back and from which curly hair locks, similarly rendered in paint, once descended; it was not uncommon for Spedos sculptures to have details, such as hair and various markings on the face and body, added in red, blue, and black pigments. The long neck is elegantly contoured all the way around the head, terminating in a reverse V-shaped articulation at the base of the spine. Condition As seen with no restorations; bottom right edge of neck, nose ridge and edge of left side of forehead chipped, wear throughout with ghost lines, a bit of discoloration and likely calcium carbonate deposits on the back. Dr. Pat Getz-Gentle described it as “impressive” and positively vetted it. Dimensions Ht. 5 5/8 in (14.3 cm) Provenance Dr. C. A. Best (1931-1978), Toronto, Canada, acquired in or before 1975, possibly late 1960s – early 1970s Mrs. DuVal Cravens, Buffalo, New York, acquired in 1979 from the Little Museum, Toronto, from the estate of Dr. C. A. Best Category Antiquities, Ancient and Ethnographic Art Auction Date Sep 22, 2017