Coroplastic production in the Archaic era (2017) (original) (raw)
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Coroplastic production includes a wide range of artefacts, from various types of figurines to plastic vases or even miniature ones, especially when they were mould-made. As it is widely accepted, this particular line of manufacture in ancient Greece was conducted within the wider framework of ceramics 1 already since the Geometric era. The fact that the casting technique dominated production in the Archaic era, becoming possibly the sole manufacturing method is not by itself reason enough to separate coroplastic workshops from other pottery workshops. Furthermore, manufacture and creation of plastic artefacts were essentially only linked during the initial phase of a coroplastic series, that which included the creation of the prototype 2. The casting technique would then allow anybody to pour clay into the clay moulds, and later plaster moulds, hence creating figurines, busts, etc.
Figuring out: coroplastic art and technè in Agrigento, Sicily: the results of a coroplastic experiment, 2017
Figurines – or terracotta made figurative objects – are a frequently encountered material category in Antiquity. Their importance can be directly linked to an expression of socio-cultural phenomena. To understand the practices and techniques applied in the production of terracotta figurines from Akragas (Agrigento, Sicily), an archaeological experiment was carried out with the aim to reconstruct the full chaîne opératoire. This so-called coroplastic experiment focused on the large variety of female figurines from Akragas dated from the 6th-5th century BC. These form the majority of mould-made objects, which were placed as votives in high numbers at sanctuaries and were also applied as a grave gift. The demand for figurines to be dedicated and the flourishing business of terracotta production in Akragas can be explained by the presence of several nearby high-quality mineral resources, in combination with the craftsmanship of the local workshops. This availability sets the conditions for a strong tradition, resulting in a variety of moulded figurines. In this study, several clays and techniques are selected to re-create the production process with the aim of elucidating the technological capacity and choices made by potters and artisans. The outcome of tests with local clays showed that the materials nearby found fit the workability requirements, but also that by mixing several clays the colour of the figurines could be manipulated. Several generations of a figurine’s genealogy re-created in the experiment show how details fade and explain the common solution to replace the head. The use of different tools, such as round sticks as well as metal blades could be distinguished by an interpretative approach to the traces on reworked figurines. The development of characteristics in both design and technique shows a local style, while moulds and figurines were exchanged with other Sicilian towns, such as Selinous (Selinunte, Sicily). However, the appearance, as well as specific production techniques, shows an influence of a different craft tradition, one which points to an eastern Greek origin. In order to distinguish the technological choices and their effect on stylistic developments, a technical approach was chosen to research the production technique and the use of materials by the workshops in Akragas.
Archaic Greek Sculpture and Its Foreign Influences
2016
Cross-cultural interactions are thought to be a relatively new phenomenon, but surely the emergence of free-standing sculpture in Archaic Greece demonstrates that various peoples of the Mediterranean have been exchanging knowledge and goods for over two millennia. It is crucial to investigate the blending of cultural and artistic practices at the time to understand how it leads to the ‘height’ of Greek art in the Classical Period. Though Greeks borrowed techniques from their Egyptian and Near East neighbours, the influence was reciprocal. These interactions further solidify, rather than undermine the worldview of Ancient Greek society.