![](../../icons/shim.gif) |
a plump little Boetian Lady
[ Follow-ups ] [ Post Follow-up ] [ The Henna Page Discussion Forum ] [ FAQ ]
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.
Follow-ups:
|