User:BillyPilGrimm/sandbox

The Peplos Kore (Peplos being the type of robe or shawl-like fabric draped over the figure and kore referencing to a young female), stands at approximately 1.8 meters in height. Its original structure consists of parian (fine grained) marble. The sculpture was extracted on the Acropolis, northwest of Erechtheion, Greece in an 1886 excavation and was originally created, approximately c.530 B.C.E. THe work was found broken up in three pieces and the original paint can be seen as extremely faded since it’s creation in the Greek archaic period, a period in Greece proceeding the classical period.

Description

The Peplos Kore, along with a variety of other similar kore statues, or korai in a plural sense, have been discovered at the Acropolis, dating to as far as the early 6th c. B.C.E. Some have suggested that patrons most likely commissioned the kore statues to serve offerings to worshiped deities, as votive figures who stand in their place. Some wealthier individuals used the kore statues as decorate grave markers for deceased family members. The usage of “perfect symmetry” and expressionism within the work can allow one to believe that the Peplos Kore may represent a real person, although exaggerated, whom may have died or even represent some ideal youthful representation in that particular time period/culture . But the Peplos Kore holds many distinct differences from the other discovered kore figures, as the work is found to be dressed in a particular manner, unlike the others, leading some archaeologists to suggest the statue may have been a goddess representation. An abundance of holes can be found located on the Peplos Kore’s head, indicating some type of crown-like structure to have been once positioned there. Many have suggested it be a diadem, an outward extending metal crown, supporting theories of the Peplos Kore being a deity and not a votive figure.

The statue is crafted from the round, as it is positioned in a frontal view is as well as presented with detailed distinctions, especially in the facial features. Within its facial features, the Peplos Kore face reserves an “archaic smile” similar to many discovered Greek statues originating from archaic period. Merriam Webster has defined an archaic smile as “an expression that resembles a smile and is characteristic of early Greek sculpture”, as it can be found among many recovered Greek statues and votive figures of that time period. In contrast, the kore statues, one of which are female depictions can be differed from kouros Greek statues. There remains a variety of distinctions between the two votive figures types, as kore are young female youths and are always presented as clothed, while the kouros male figures are presented as nude muscular works. During the duration of years since the Peplos Kore was first discovered, the Museum of Classical Archaeology managed to establish the sculpture’s original “essence” by initiating a new replicated figure in 1975. But in this newly made replica, accurately based paints would be applied to the figure in attempts to fully restore the piece to its originality.BillyPilGrimm (talk) 04:34, 19 November 2015 (UTC)