Head of an Idol

This is the reproduction of a marble head of an idol, found on the small island of Keros, in the heart of the Cyclades.

The original probably came from a statue of a naked woman, standing in a slightly arched position, her head tilted slightly backwards and her arms folded under her breasts. This style is typical of most of the statuettes belonging to the same group, called the art of old Spedos, corresponding to the Ancient Cycladic II civilization which flourished around the middle of the second millennium.

This series is characterized by an almost oval head, marked only by a protruding nose, while the body, by its very nature, has more realistic features and is therefore less abstract.

Statuettes of this type were found in fairly large numbers in Cycladic tombs of the Early Bronze Age. Rather than being “idols”, as was believed for a long time, they probably symbolize the deceased or his companion.