figurine

Examples of figurine in the following topics:

• Sculpture of the Cyclades

  • Cycladic art is best known for its small scale marble figurines.
  • The purpose of these figurines is unknown, although all that have been discovered have been located in graves.
  • Furthermore, the figurines were buried equally between men and women.
  • Swollen bellies on some figurines might have indicated pregnancy or symbolic fertility.
  • Like other Cycladic sculptures discovered to date, the purposes of these figurines remain unknown.

• Ceramcis of the Veracruz

  • The production of ceramic figurines are a hallmark of Classic Veracruz art.
  • Remojadas-style figurines, perhaps the most easily recognizable, are usually hand-modeled and often adorned with appliqués.
  • Of particular note are the Sonrientes (Smiling) Figurines, with triangular-shaped heads and outstretched arms.
  • Figurines from Nopiloa are usually less ornate, without appliqués, and are often molded.
  • Ball Player Figurine, 7th–10th century, Nopiloa, Veracruz, Mexico, 27 cm. high.

• "Venus" Sculptures

  • Sculptural work from the Paleolithic consists mainly of figurines, beads, and some decorative utilitarian objects constructed with stone, bone, ivory, clay, and wood.
  • Venus figurines is an umbrella term for a number of prehistoric statuettes of women that have been found mostly in Europe, but also in Asia and Siberia, dating from the Upper Paleolithic.
  • These sculptures are collectively described as "Venus" figurines in reference to the Roman goddess of beauty, as early historians assumed they represented an ideal of beauty from the time.
  • The Venus figurines have sometimes been interpreted as representing a mother goddess; the abundance of such female imagery has led some to believe that Upper Paleolithic (and later Neolithic) societies had a female-centered religion and a female-dominated society.
  • Various other explanations for the purpose of the figurines have been proposed, such as the hypothesis that the figurines were created as self-portraits of actual women.

• Ceramics in the Jomon Period

  • They crafted lavishly decorated pottery storage vessels, clay figurines called dogū , and crystal jewels.
  • So-called flame vessels, along with the closely related crown-formed vessels , are among the most distinctive forms from this period; representative forms such as clay figurines of people and animals also appeared around this time.
  • These figurines, called dogū, are often described as "goggle-eyed," and feature elaborate geometrical designs and short, stubby limbs .

• Art in Western Europe

  • Western Europe was particularly bountiful for archaeological discoveries, such as the Venus figurines, from the Paleolithic.
  • As elsewhere, many Venus figurines have been discovered throughout western Europe that date from the Paleolithic period.
  • Hundreds of these Venus figurines have been discovered to date.

• Minoan Sculpture

  • Minoan sculpture consist of figurines that reflect the culture's artistic style and important aspects of daily life.
  • So far, the majority of sculptures and figurines found during Minoan excavations have been small-scale.
  • Bronze was an important material in Minoan culture and many figurines were produced in this medium, mostly created using the lost-wax casting technique.
  • One figurine, known as the Snake Goddess , depicts a woman with open arms holding a snake in each hand, and a feline sitting on her head.

• Cultures of Mesoamerica

  • Primarily centered in the modern states of Tabasco and Veracruz in the Gulf of Mexico, the Olmec people are known especially for creating an abundance of  small and extraordinarily detailed jade figurines.
  • The figurines typically exhibit complex shapes such as human figures, human-animal composites (or hybrid forms) of deities/gods, and animals specifically cats and birds.
  • Stone sculpture and wood figurines fared much better during the Conquest.
  • Small holes were drilled around the edges so that this figurine could be worn on the body with twine.

• The Stone Age

  • Paleolithic art includes rock and cave painting, jewelry, drawing, carving, engraving and sculpture in: clay, bone, antler, stone and ivory, such as the Venus figurines, and musical instruments such as flutes.
  • From the Paleolithic through the Mesolithic, cave paintings and portable art such as figurines, statuettes, and beads predominated, with decorative figured workings also seen on some utilitarian objects.
  • Venus figurines—an umbrella term for a number of prehistoric female statuettes portrayed with similar physical attributes—were very popular at the time.
  • These figurines were carved from soft stone (such as steatite, calcite, or limestone), bone or ivory, or formed of clay and fired.

• Colossal Heads of the Olmec

  • Most of these small objects were figurines or sculptures that resembled both human and animal subjects.
  • While Olmec figurines are found abundantly in sites throughout the Formative period, monumental works of basalt sculpture, including colossal heads, altars, and seated figures are the most recognizable feature of Olmec culture.

• Carving

  • The Venus figurines, such as the Venus of Willendorf, have been discovered across central Europe and serve as another prominent example of prehistoric carved sculpture .
  • The Venus figurines, such as the Venus of Willendorf, are a prominent example of prehistoric carved sculpture.