Manufacture of cycladic figurines

CYCLADIC ART

HOW WERE THE FIGURINES MADE?

Existing studies suggest that an experienced craftsperson would have needed 20-30 hours to carve a flat piece of marble into a small figurine (up to 25 cm in height), using simple tools made of hard stones (such as emery or obsidian).

That said, we do not know how long it took to sculpt the larger figurines.
Our understanding of how the Cycladic figurines were made derives from three sources:

a) A workshop area found at the site of Skarkos (on the island of Ios), which contained finished and half-finished figurines, tools of emery, obsidian, and pumice – as well as lumps of mineral pigments

b) Toolmarks on half-finished figurines

c) Experimental manufacture of marble figurines with traditional tools and techniques

STAGES OF THE CARVING PROCESS

Τracing the figurine’s form on the marble slab

Removal of excessive material with pointed percussion tools (made of emery)

Shaping the figurine with abrasion tools (made of stone)

Incising anatomical details with sharp emery or obsidian flakes

If necessary, the surface could have been polished with emery sand or pumice. After the carving process was completed, several figurines received painted decoration