Head of a kouros (young man)
Head of a kouros (young man)
Dateca. 500 BCE
Mediumterracotta
Dimensionsobject: 11 3/4 x 6 x 4 3/4 in. (29.8 x 15.2 x 12.1 cm)
base: 2 5/8 × 4 5/8 × 4 1/4 in. (6.7 × 11.7 × 10.8 cm)
ClassificationSCULPTURE
Credit LineSBMA, Gift of Robert M. Light in honor of Wright S. Ludington
Object number1982.66
Subject(s)
- men
- heads and faces
- boys
Collection
- Antiquity
Sub-Collection(s)
- Greek
On View
Not on viewLabel TextThis head would have belonged to a standing nude sculpture of a young man which was about three quarters to half life-size. More commonly made of stone around Greece, terracotta kouroi were prevalent in southern Italy and Sicily. Sculpted to be viewed in the round, the distinct eyes of the archaic style in which they are carved ensures that their gaze is visible from many angles. Kouroi and their female (albeit clothed) equivalent, korai, have been excavated in cemeteries as well as sanctuaries, making their intended purpose unclear. They may have been offerings to the gods, or to the deceased, or they may be representations of either. It is possible their form was deliberately ambiguous and left up to the interpretation of the individual based on their context even in ancient times. A cream-colored clay slip remains on this head and, although there are no traces now, it is likely that he would have once been painted with different colors.
