Naxos Archaeological Museum

Here the sense of the marble makes a deep impression. There are marble vessels, marble idols and even frying pan shaped marble utensils. It was nature herself, Naxos being so rich in marble, which provided the stimulus for the men of the 3rd millennium BC, and for their successors. This first impression, however, should not lead us to underestimate the earthenware vessels, the jewellery, the obsidian blades and the various other useful objects. All these finds were funeral gifts, that is to say, they were intended to remain with the departed in their last homes. They were usually placed in front of the face of the dead, or, if more than two in number, they were spread around the tomb, with a preference for the corners. The custom of cremation was not practiced in the Cycladic period.

We find ourselves, then, in the Naxos and the Cyclades of the period of Cycladic civilization, in the 3rd millennium BC and, more specifically, in what is known as the Early Clay frying-pan utensil with the characteristic Cycladic period (3200-2000 BC). At that time there were engraved spirals settlements on the coast at Grotta and on the eastern coastline of the island, naturally with their cemeteries. It is from these latter that we have the finds exhibited in the Naxos Museum, a rich and complete collection. The many graveyards scattered about the island, the careful arrangement of the body in the tomb, accompanied by the objects which had been most treasured in life are testimony to the bond between the living and the dead, worship of the latter, faith in the cycle of life and death and belief in some continuity, some other form, perhaps, of life.

On show in the cases are earthenware vessels from the Early Cycladic period: cylindrical and spherical pyxides, plain or with incised decoration, and microscopic phials for paints. The clay from which they are made is coarse-grained and often not well baked. The decoration, where it exists, frequently forms a 'fish bone' pattern in repeated horizontal or vertical compositions. The incisions of the decoration have been filled with a white material, giving the impression of a bichromatic interplay of alternating white and dark colours.

Gradually the variety of the clay vessels increases, as does the wealth of the incised and inscribed decoration on their surfaces. Spiral patterns predominate. Here we can see the famous candlesticks, ewers, wine-pourers, multiple vessels, that is, complexes of twin, triple and multiple pyxides and complexes of lamps, utensils in the shape of animals, sauce boats, etc. In their design some of the vessels copy specific models. For example, the pyxis copies the smoothed shell of a sea urchin. On the other hand, the marble vessels are austere and undecorated, relying entirely on the natural beauty of the material.

The pyxis in the form of a sea urchin becomes a type of Cycladic small crater with the addition of a leg and a 'neck.'

A special place is held by the vessels in the shape of a frying pan. It would seem that this type of vessel and its peculiar pattern of handle were Cycladic creations. These are of clay, but in Naxos they are also found in marble. We do not know exactly what their use was, though there are various conjectures: one is that, they were mirrors, the image being reflected in the water, whilst another interpretation is that they were used as drums in funeral processions, a piece of skin being stretched over the opening.

Decoration is confined to the external surfaces; in some cases the pattern of the pubic triangle is incised on the handle. Typical here is a large spiral incised on the whole external surface of the bottom. A predominant place is held by the typical Cycladic many-oared boat with the fish and the flag on the high prow.

However, the most valuable contribution of Cycladic civilization to art was the idols, which represented the first flowering of the plastic arts in Greece. Marble was used exclusively in these artifacts. In the collection of idols in the Naxos Museum we can trace man's attempt in the 3rd millennium BC to render the human figure.

Some of the idols are entirely schematic. These started with a very small oval or triangular plaque, rounded to form the trunk, with a narrow extension to represent the neck and the head. This gives us the violin-shaped figure. This was followed by an attempt at a rendering of the human body that was more faithful to anatomical detail. The head is now triangular or almond-shaped, with the neck clearly distinguished. The arms protrude at the shoulders like small wings, the abdomen and pubic area are often shown on the trunk and the legs terminate in the flat soles of the feet. It would seem that these figures, always upright and naked, represented women.

In the Early Cycladic II phase, the principal period of Cycladic culture, the size of these figures varies from a few centimetres to life-size representations of the human body. The main type of the naked upright female figure has the head in the shape of a lyre, with a triangular nose in relief and a backward inclination of the head, which is supported on a long cylindrical neck. The hands are shown on the breast and the legs are bent slightly at the knee, supported on the tips of the toes.

There are also male forms, more complex and usually seated. The variations and alternations among the individual idols demonstrate the need for exploration and creativity on the part of the Cycladic marble-carvers. These artistic needs eventually led them to the famous 'Harpist' of Naxos, the `Harpist' and 'Pipe-player' of Keros and the 'Proposer of a toast' in the Goulandris Collection.

There are various interpretations of the Cycladic idols. One interpretation, for example, is that they are figures from Cycladic mythology, similar to the heroes and nymphs of the ancient Greeks. The crooked feet of the idols are thought to indicate that they are dancing and the backward curve of the head shows the figure in a moment of enthusiasm. The female figures, then, are dancing 'nymphs' whilst the male figures are 'heroes' singing in an attempt to invoke the divine powers. More widely supported is the theory that the idols represent a divinity, such as the Great Mother, the goddess of fertility, or that they protected the dead during their journey to the other world. All these interpretations have arguments for and against. What is certain, however, on the basis of the findings, is that in the 3rd millennium BC Naxos played a special role in the creation of the first sculptural arts in Greece, albeit in miniature.

In addition to the Cycladic Collection of the Naxos Museum, the view has been expressed that the 'Goulandris Collection artist' (that is, the Early Cycladic marble sculptor to whom works in the Goulandris Collection, the Naxos Museum and other collections have been attributed) was a Naxiot. He may have been an itinerant artist, there may even have been an export trade in the idols. What is sure, however, is that his works contain the calm, balance and harmony of the simple figures that are now defined by the term 'Cycladic idol.'

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