Reproduction patinated by hand on marble base. Mold made from an imprint of the original work.
This statuette of a nude woman, standing on tiptoe, in a frontal position, arms crossed over her body, is the reproduction of an original in marble from Naxos, one of the islands of the Cyclades.
This statuette is typical of the artistic production of these islands during the prehistoric period of the Early Bronze Age (3200-2000 B.C.).
These idols have been the object of such in-depth studies that it is now possible to identify the workshops and even the hands of the "masters". Their meaning, on the other hand, continues to be an enigma. Different theories have been put forward, only to be rejected. They may be images of the Mother Goddess or the guardian of the dead, or perhaps effigies of the deceased, etc. However, these statuettes were probably not intended for funerary purposes alone since they were not all found in tombs, and some of them bear traces of ancient repairs that could imply prolonged use.
