Cycladic Idol

CultureGreek

Datemid-3rd millennium B.C.E.

MediumMarble

DimensionsOverall: 16 1/4 × 4 3/4 × 1/2 inches (41.28 × 12.07 × 1.27 cm)

Credit LinePurchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust

Object number35-41

On View

On view

Gallery Location

Collections

Ancient Art

Terms

Gallery Label

This is the earliest sculpture in our Greek collection, and it is a typical example of a Cycladic “idol.” The folded arms dramatically frame the breasts, and the pubic triangle emphasizes the genitals; most other details—mouth, ears and eyes, for instance—have been eliminated. Fertility seems to be a key idea behind the sculpture. Because of this and because most sculptures like this come from tombs, the figure may have been meant to help the deceased be reborn into the afterlife. The identification of its function remains controversial.
The figure’s highly abstract appearance contrasts with that of the nearly contemporaneous Egyptian sculptures.

Provenance

Harold Woodbury Parsons (1882-1967), New York, by May 13, 1935;

Purchased from Parsons by Brummer Gallery, New York, stock no. N3510, May 13, 1935 [1];

Purchased from Brummer Gallery by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1935.

NOTES:

[1] The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Cloisters Library and Archives, Brummer Gallery Records, Greek and Roman marbles and stones, Object inventory card number N3510.

Published References

Ross E. Taggart, ed., Handbook of the Collections in the William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art and Mary Atkins Museum of Fine Arts, 4^th ed. (Kansas City, MO: William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art and Mary Atkins Museum of Fine Arts, 1959), 24.

Ross E. Taggart and George L. McKenna, eds., Handbook of the Collections in The William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art and Mary Atkins Museum of Fine Arts, Kansas City, Missouri, vol. 1, Art of the Occident, 5th ed. (Kansas City, MO: William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art and Mary Atkins Museum of Fine Arts, 1973), 32.

Roger Ward and Patricia J. Fidler, eds., The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: A Handbook of the Collection (New York: Hudson Hills Press, in association with Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 1993), 116.

Deborah Emont Scott, ed., The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: A Handbook of the Collection, 7th ed. (Kansas City, MO: Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 2008), 11, fig. 25.

Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information, is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image, please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.