Lot Essay
Cf. V. Tatton-Brown, Ancient Cyprus, The British Museum, London, 1987, front cover plate for a colossal statue from the sanctuary of Apollo at Idalion; and M. B. Comstock and C. C. Vermeule, Sculpture in Stone, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, p. 275, no. 441.
The above head probably belonged to a votive statue of a deity which would have been dedicated in a sanctuary to ensure the blessing and protection of the god for the donor. The practise of presenting statues in both stone and terracotta is attested from the 7th Century B.C. onwards. The detailed treatment of the face when contrasted with the schematic rendering of the back of the head suggests that the statue would have stood against a wall or in an alcove.
The above head probably belonged to a votive statue of a deity which would have been dedicated in a sanctuary to ensure the blessing and protection of the god for the donor. The practise of presenting statues in both stone and terracotta is attested from the 7th Century B.C. onwards. The detailed treatment of the face when contrasted with the schematic rendering of the back of the head suggests that the statue would have stood against a wall or in an alcove.