Three Chalcolithic Figures from Cyprus

Abstract

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO, between 1874 and 1876, Metropolitan Museum purchased Cesnola Collection of Cypriot antiquities. Today, after disposal of duplicates in I92os, there remain approximately five thousand objects that range in date from Bronze Age to Roman times and that represent major forms and styles of ancient Cypriot art pretty much as it was known until 1927.I In that year Swedish Cyprus Expedition began a four-year program of intensive excavation at eighteen sites ;2 it marks beginning of modern archaeology on island, and its efforts have been followed up ever since by Cypriot and foreign investigators. One of most important results of this activity has been to reveal Neolithic and Chalcolithic cultures, which seem to span a period of about 3500 years before beginning of Early Bronze Age (about 2300 B.C.)3 At Khirokitia, Sotira, and Erimi, to name only major settlements, architectural remains, pottery, and small objects, especially of stone, have disprovedJohn L. Myres' statement that the Stone Age has left but few traces in Cyprus.4 Among very few additions to Museum's Cypriot collection within past century are three stone figures of Chalcolithic period (about 30002300 B.C.). As Christine Alexander, Dietrich von Bothmer, and others have recognized, they belong to wellestablished types, yet they deserve to be better known. All three represent stylized human forms and are made of what is commonly called steatite.5 The most important piece is preserved intact and measures 7.9 cm. in height and 4.8 cm. across arms (Figures I, 2). As is best seen in head, stone is layered into different shades of green; chin, knees, toes, and back were cut into a band of dark green while rest of body has a lighter, slightly grayish color.6 The cross-shaped figure is composed of a horizontal axis formed by extended arms intersected by long neck, short torso, and bent legs that mark vertical axis; rectangular head is set at an angle above neck. While front of body, especially neck and arms, has a rounded surface, back-from top of head