Head of Kore. Greece, 6th–5th century B.C.

Head of Kore. Greece, 6th–5th century B.C.
Terracotta.
Measurements: 14 cm (height).

The piece presented here, made of terracotta, is a head of a kore, a type of sculpture highly representative of Greek art from the Archaic period. It depicts young women in full-body, standing, frontal poses; the male counterpart to this is the kouros. As with all Archaic Greek statuary, the korai show a profound influence from Egyptian sculpture, particularly in their hieratic quality and the simplification and essentialization of their forms. However, unlike the kouros, the kore are not depicted as static, purely timeless figures; rather, they are richly dressed in attire befitting ladies and are shown in slight motion; they hold a flower, a fruit, or a small animal in their hand, or the folds of their dress are gracefully gathered. At other times, they simply cross one arm in front of their body. Otherwise, they maintain the frontal posture of the kouros, with their feet planted on the ground and the same compact forms, cubic structures, and heavy volumes, especially in the earliest examples. However, by the early sixth century, some changes in structure would occur, with progress made primarily in the movement of the body and the layering of drapery.