Rare Greek Kore head discovered in Vulchi – History Blog

The marble head of Kore is a free-standing statue from the Archaic period (800-480 BC) depicting a young female figure and was found in the ancient Etruscan city of Vulci in central Italy. The head of this female statue is one of the few known large-scale Archaic statues found outside Greece.

The kore head was discovered during excavations in the area of ​​a monumental temple discovered in 2021 as part of the ongoing Vulci Cityscape project. The sculpture depicts a young woman with almond-shaped eyes and a serene smile, known as the “Ancient Smile”, which was intended to convey an ideal sense of harmony and happiness rather than happiness. Her hair is carefully curled and braided. It is thought to have been an attic workshop from the early 5th century BC

“The discovery of the late ancient marble Kore head at Vulci is an event of extraordinary significance, both for its artistic value and the meaning it contains. It is not just a prestigious votive gift that was discovered, but a spiritual and political icon that united the Etruscan and Greek worlds. A concrete testimony of the political-civic connection. It is an archaeological discovery that can change our perception of the world, just as it does with new scientific laws. It reshapes our representation of reality cognitively, symbolically and politically,” said Minister Alessandro Giuli. “It is no coincidence that this happened in Vulci, a city opened through the port and recently acquired by the Ministry of Culture, through the hinterland, where all objects, but above all the rituals, from the end of the eighth century BC, can now be reconstructed with new archaeological diagnostic tools, confirming to us a dynamism and cultural permeability that must still characterize and represent our models today.”

The head is currently at the Central Institute of Restoration (ICR) in Rome, where it is being cleaned and conserved. It will be thoroughly analyzed to investigate the original polychromatic traces remaining on the marble surface, as well as what materials and techniques were used to create the piece.