Cypro-Ionian Lyre Player

Cypro-Ionian Lyre Player

Description:

Light grey limestone statuette of a youth of Cypro-Ionian style, painted.


Draped youth standing on a curved plinth, playing a lyre; the left hand holds the instrument, the right hand, across the body, touches it with a plectrum. The head, parts of the shoulders and the front of the lyre are missing.


He is wearing a tight long chiton with an overfold at the waist; the lower half of the garment is pleated in small tight folds in the front, covering the legs down to the calves, at the centre there is a neat bunch of folds, with a tanged lower edge, the outline of the legs is visible below the chiton; the cloth covering his upper body is tight, straight and may either be part of the chiton distinguished from the lower half by an overfold or a separate piece of clothing; across the upper body a cloak is painted in red, as are his boots. The sounding-board of the lyre is painted red, the strings black.


Long slender proportions; rounded section; the back is rounded and indicates the motion, however, it is not worked to the same degree of detail as the front with the folds for instance not indicated. The left foot slightly advanced; the right upper arm is separated from the body.


Dimensions: Height: 18.20 centimetres


Object Type: figure


Series: Nick Type 1 (Sub group 1.2)


Techniques: painted

Period:

Archaic II

Date:

575 - 550 BC

Collection:

British Museum

Provenance:

Sanctuary of Aphrodite (Naukratis)

Accession Number:

1888,0601.28