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Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens, 2800-2300 B.C.
During the period between 3200 and 2000 B.C. the small Cycladic islands (Cyclades, Greece) in the Aegean became home to a flourishing pre-Greek culture. The most prominent craft in Cycladic culture was stone-cutting, especially marble sculpture. The abundance of high quality, white marble on the islands, encouraged its wide use for the creation of a wide range of artifacts. Among these, Cycladic Statues are the most distinctive Cycladic creation because of the great numbers in which they are found, and the significance they held for their owners. The majority of Cycladic Figurines show women, nude with the arms folded over the belly and the long feet, soles slopping downwards. We do not know whether they were meant to show mortals or deities, but probably symbolized the worship of the 'Mother Goddess'. In this case, the statues may have been conceived as representations of the Goddess, or companions to her.
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