Archaic II

Terracotta head of a man

The manufacture of large scale hollow terracotta sculpture on Cyprus began in the mid-seventh century B.C. This is one of the finest examples of the "Neo-Cypriot" style, characterized by fine features, large ridged eyes, feathered eyebrows, and a lot of color. H. 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm)

Date

650 - 550 BC

Accession No.

74.51.1443

Collection

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Provenance

References

Cesnola, Luigi Palma di. 1894. A Descriptive Atlas of the Cesnola Collection of Cypriote Antiquities in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Vol. 2. pl. XV.115, Boston: James R. Osgood and Company.Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1895. The Terracottas and Pottery of the Cesnola Collection of Cypriote Antiquities in Halls 4 and 15. no. 52, p. 5, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.Myres, John L. 1914. Handbook of the Cesnola Collection of Antiquities from Cyprus. no. 1456, p. 257, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.Myres, John L. 1940-1945. "Excavations in Cyprus, 1913." Annual of the British School at Athens, 41: pl. 32.Myres, John L. 1946. "The Dates and Origins of Cypriote Sculpture." Annual of the British School at Athens, 41. pl. 32.Brown, Alfred M. 1983. "A Pair of Gold Spiral Earrings." Ancient Art from Cyprus: The Ringling Collection, Norma Kershaw, ed. pp. 75-76, n. 18, Sarasota, Florida: John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.Hermary, Antoine and Ms. Lillian Schlissel. 1991. "Les Debuts de la Grande Plastique Chypriote en Terre Cuite." Cypriote terracottas : proceedings of the First International Conference of Cypriote Studies, Brussels-Liège-Amsterdam, 29 May-1 June, 1989 / organized by the "Groupe de Contact interuniversitaire d'études chypriotes", F.N.R.S./N.F.W.O. (Belgium), Frieda Vandenabeele and Robert Laffineur, eds. p. 142, n. 38, pl. XXXVIII.a, Brussels-Liège: Vrije Universiteit.Karageorghis, Vassos. 1993. The Coroplastic Art of Ancient Cyprus, Vol. 3. no. 109, p. 45, pl. XXVIII.3, Nicosia: Foundation Anastasios G. Leventis.Karageorghis, Vassos, Joan Mertens, and Marice E. Rose. 2000. Ancient Art from Cyprus: The Cesnola Collection in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. no. 209, p. 140, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.Karageorghis, Vassos, Gloria Merker, and Joan R. Mertens. 2016. The Cesnola Collection of Cypriot Art : Terracottas. no. 63, pp. 41-42, 254, Online Publication, [CD-Rom 2004], New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.