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ARCHAIC SCULPTURE

Kore No. 674
from Athens
Height 3 feet
c. 500 BCE
marble
(The Acropolis Museum, Athens)

With the last quarter of the century, the fashion in clothing changed, and the cross-slung himation worn over the crinkly chiton finds favor. Together with extravagantly complex hairdos, these garments offered all kind of variety in terms of surface decoration. Moreover, at the same time as the brilliance of the drapery is stressed, anatomical forms beneath appear more forcefully. For example, korai of this period often use one hand to pull the drapery against the limbs, thus revealing the shapes of the body beneath. With Kore No. 674 (also known as "La Delicata", the 'delicate one'), made around 500 BCE., a new mood is discernible. Complex patterns of coiffure, grouped folds of the chiton, and weightier textured himation folds contrast with the somber expression of the face.

© Christopher L. C. E. Witcombe