a plump little Boetian Lady
Posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on August 30, 1999 at 16:45:48:
Back in the library, I found a picture of a small ceramic figure from
Boetia, about 350 BCE. It is of a lady, nude, and if I were to guess
her measurements, I would guess 40" bust, 30" waist, 46" hips on a
5'2" figure. She appears to me to be a healthy, fecund, well-fed
mommy sort of lady, with a figure that belies having had several
children, maybe 32 years of age, and appears to be very happy about
it. She also appears to have henna patterns across her chest, and on
her upper arms. Nice patterns, too. If her hands were still extant, I
bet they would be hennaed, ...but they're gone. (Earthquake prone
region... that's hard on little ceramic ladies).
One, question, where in Greece is Boetia?
Two...thinking about this little figure...
The guy who wrote this book on early Greek ceramic figures lists her
as a "grotesque". I'm not sure I agree. Anatolian figurines tend to
show ladies (regarded as beautiful and excellent) as being size 16 or
so and well rounded from child-bearing and being well-fed. Greek
figures of this period are the ones that show ladies as looking like
they have a full time membership at the gym and spend 4 hours a day
with their personal trainer. Greek female figures of this period
also show no henna....but it was certainly being used in other
regions. I wonder if this statue is not so much a "grotesque" as
simply representative as a lady from another area where beauty is of
another definition, and where henna is popular. If so, that's a very
early portrayal of henna ornamenting parts of a lady's body other than
hands.
Just passing along a musing from digging in the library...wonder if
there's anyone out there who can tell me where Boetia is, or would
care to elaborate. The semster has begun so the wonderful 14 story
library (about a square acre at the base) is now overrun with
students...and I won't be able to assume the "Shannon Position" on the
6th floor in the middle of the art section to have a good think
without some security pogue walking up and asking what's going on
until Christmas break. Oh well. Back to maintaining an appearance of
normality.