Greece (Athens, National Archaeological Museum)

Phrasikleia Kore Head and Crown

3105

Date Created: Circa 550–540 BCE. Period: The High Archaic Period (sixth century BCE). This era in Attica was characterized by monumental freestanding marble statuary (kouroi and korai), exquisite decorative craftsmanship, and the integration of relief ornamentation with brilliant polychromy.

Funerary Monument (Sema): Functionally, the statue served as a grave marker (sema) erected in the deme of Myrrhinous to commemorate Phrasikleia, a young maiden who died unwed (parthenos), as recorded in the epigram carved on its base ("Always shall I be called maiden..."). Symbol of Aristocratic Status and Eternal Youth: The lavish ornamentation, crown, and jewelry symbolized her elite family's wealth, eternal youth, and her symbolic transformation into an immortal bride in the afterlife.