General issues of interpretation, continued 2. Open vs. closed stride . The male is moving, the female stationary. Interpretation : The male may represent “man as he exists throughout eternity,” an abstract concept, man in his wholeness. His hands are as unencumbered as the rest of his body and consistent with vigorous movement. Though there is a dimension of timeless symbolism to the females as well, they are also encumbered with contingent social signifiers: the clothing pulled tight in one hand, a significant object (often a pomegranate, representing fertility) in the other, perhaps a headdress indicating the status of bride and thus referring again to a woman’s social role. Extreme case of stationary female: the caryatid. Again, contrast our own age: pants vs. skirts
General issues of interpretation, continued 3. Sexual reference of korai .: are they all “modestly draped”? Blundell virtually limits herself to fertility (the prized “rounded buttocks) (nubile, modestly draped, fertile). Add a dimension of eroticism: (1) Religious contexts offer most of the rare occasions for boys/men and girls to mix; real-life korai are “on display” at such times (so Schneider). Compare the “peeping” of Dionysus in Aristophanes’ Frogs (as he catches sight of a woman’s breast while she is engaged in mystic ritual), as well as many a comic or novellistic plot that features sexual encounter at a festival. (2) A certain sexual licence prevails among some goddesses in some contexts, and not just Aphrodite. On such occasions the “religious” atmosphere may have an effect just opposite to that imagined by Blundell, not inhibiting but encouraging sexual fantasy. N.B. We will see later that the female nude statue emerges in a “religious” context.
In Richter’s scheme: Early Archaic (1) τυπικά δαιδαλικά χ. Found in the sanctuary of Artemis on Delos, now in Athens (EM). Does the statue represent Nikandre or Artemis? (The holes carved in each hand could have held metal attributes of Artemis, bow and arrow.) Status: Nikandre is/was married (cf. inscription); Artemis is a virginal goddess. (The earliest kore may not be a kore .) The body, together with the clothing, is plank-like. The drapery is practicaly foldless.
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