MARBLE IDOL HEAD Cycladic art, Early Cycladic II, Sedos group, 2700-2300 BC Beautiful idol head with typical lyre-shaped face, from which only the elongated, triangular nose is visible in relief. Minor visible damage. Height Height : 10.5 cm Source : Nicolas Koutoulakis Collection (1910-1996), Paris and Geneva, 1970s Gilgamesh Gallery, Paris Collection of Monsieur B., Paris, acquired in 2015 Bibliography : Galerie Gilgamesh, XXVII Biennale des Antiquaires, Paris, 2014, pp.12-13 A Cycladic marble head, Early Cycladic II, Spedos variety, 2700-2300 B.C. The 'idols' from the Keros-Syros culture are considered 'canonical' for this type of production in the Early Cycladic period: long, stylised female figures, with a thin face and only the nose in relief, in a hieratic position, their arms folded over their stomachs. The Spedos variety (sculptures mainly from the Naxos cemetery) is characterised by a U-shaped head bent backwards. Some researchers suggest that these sculptures were originally painted (particularly the details of the face), dressed and adorned with attachments. However, their meaning and use remain enigmatic.