Cypriot plank figurine

Numerous clay statuettes have survived from Bronze Age Cyprus. Particularly impressive among these are ‘plank idols’, so-called because of their flat and highly stylised form. To our eyes, their abstract design makes these human figurines seem decidedly modern. Like the ceramic vessels which appeared around the same time, plank figurines were hand-formed and then covered with a slip which turned a characteristic shade of red during the firing process. Known therefore as Red Polished Ware, this type of pottery was introduced to Cyprus in the mid-3rd millennium BC and became widespread throughout the area up to the mid-2nd millennium BC. As seen in the example shown here, the incised decorations on the figurines were often filled with a white substance to make them stand out better. Our example has the flat square form that is typical of these plank figurines. Two rectangles form the body and the head, with the only three-dimensional elements being the nose, eyes and perforated ears. No other body parts, such as arms and legs, can be distinguished. Particular attention has been paid to the ornate incised patterns. They are suggestive of elaborate clothing, complex headgear and jewellery around the neck, and perhaps even of tattoos. In many plank figurines, the absence of specific sexual characteristics makes it difficult to tell whether they represent female or male figures. Researchers do not agree on the significance or purpose of these statuettes. When the first examples were found in 1913, they were uniformly viewed as female. Today this is being called into question, and justifiably so, because female Bronze Age fertility idols are generally naked, whereas the plank figurines are clothed. Because of their flat, plank-like appearance, the figurines have been interpreted as small-scale reproductions of cult images carved from wood (Greek xoana). A large majority of plank figurines of secure provenance came to light in burials. A particularly large number were found at the settlement of Lapithos on the northern coast of Cyprus. From the limited data available for analysis, they appear to occur in both male and female burials. What purpose they fulfilled as grave goods – whether, for example, they depicted deities, played a role in some form of ancestor worship, or represented a particular social stratum of society – we cannot say.

Cultura. The World Art & Antiques Fair 2001 (2001) 56; Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig, Katalog 101 Meisterwerke (2022) 82f. Nr. 26;