ID: 700000112 Page link: http://vocab.getty.edu/page/cona/700000112	Record Type: Movable Work
Images: 1 2 3

Small snake goddess figurine (sculpture (visual works); unknown Minoan; Late Bronze Age, about 1600 BC...; Archaeological Museum (Iráklion, Iráklion regional div...; ΑΕ 63; )

Note: Place of discovery: Knosos, Palace, sacred treasury-rooms. One of the two famous figurines of the Minoan earth goddess with the snakes, possibly representing a mother goddess and a daughter, are exquisite examples of Minoan miniature sculpture. The smallest of the two shows the goddess standing, holding snakes in both of her raised hands. She wears the elaborate Minoan garment - a tight vest with sleeves, which bares her ample bosom, and a long skirt with seven horizontal tiers and a short apron - and an equally elaborate head-dress on which a panther sits. The triangular face is dominated by the huge expressive eyes, which convey all the tension of the figure. This figurine was found together with the another similar but larger figurine, and other precious objects.

Titles:

Small snake goddess figurine (preferred,C,U,RP,English-P,U,U)

Snake Goddess (C,U,English,U,U)

Ειδώλιο της μικρής "θεάς των όφεων" (C,U,RP,Greek-P,U,U)

Catalog Level: item

Work Types:

sculpture (visual works) [300047090] (preferred)

..... (Objects Facet, Visual and Verbal Communication (hierarchy name), Visual Works (hierarchy name), visual works (works), <visual works by material or technique>)

Classifications:

Ancient Greek art (preferred)

Creation Date: Late Bronze Age, about 1600 BCE

Creator Display:

unknown Minoan [preferred,VP]

unknown Minoan (Minoan cultural designation) [500125280]

Locations:

Current: Archaeological Museum (Iráklion, Iráklion regional division, Kríti region, Greece) [500300551] Corporate Bodies (Corp. Body)

Repository Numbers: ΑΕ 63

Site Context: Knossós [7010870] Iráklion regional division (regional division), Kríti region (region (administrative division)), Greece (nation), Europe (continent), World (facet) (Geographic)

Display Materials: Majolica

	maiolica [300021170]
	.......(Objects Facet, Visual and Verbal Communication (hierarchy name), Visual Works (hierarchy name), visual works (works), <visual works by material or technique>, ceramic ware (visual works), pottery (visual works), earthenware, tin-glazed ware)

Dimensions: height: 0,295 m

Cultures:

Minoan (preferred)

Style/Period/Group/Movement:

	Late Bronze Age [300019278] (preferred,N/A)
	.....(Styles and Periods Facet, Styles and Periods (hierarchy name), <styles| periods| and cultures by general era>, three-age system, Bronze Age)

General Subject:

human figures (preferred)

religion and mythology

Specific Subjects:

	earth mother (deity) [300412036]
	.....(Agents Facet, People (hierarchy name), people (agents), <people by occupation>, <people in the humanities>, <people in religion and related occupations>, people in religion, deities, goddesses) (AAT)

	goddess [300343852]
	.....(Agents Facet, People (hierarchy name), people (agents), <people by occupation>, <people in the humanities>, <people in religion and related occupations>, people in religion, deities) (AAT)

	snake (suborder) [300250870]
	.....(Agents Facet, Living Organisms (hierarchy name), living organisms (entities), Eukaryota (domain), Animalia (kingdom), Chordata (phylum), Vertebrata (subphylum), Reptilia (class), Squamata (order)) (AAT)

	priestess [300343853]
	.....(Agents Facet, People (hierarchy name), people (agents), <people by occupation>, <people in the humanities>, <people in religion and related occupations>, people in religion, clergy) (AAT)

	female [300189557]
	.....(Associated Concepts Facet, Associated Concepts (hierarchy name), scientific concepts, biological concepts, sex (biological characteristic)) (AAT)

Copyright: Copyright: Hellenic Ministry of Culture

List/Hierarchical Position:

..... Movable Works

.......... Movable Works by class: drawings, paintings, prints, other two-dimensional media

Additional Notes:

Greek ..... Έξοχα δείγματα της μινωικής μικροπλαστικής αποτελούν τα δύο περίφημα αγαλματίδια που απεικονίζουν τη χθόνια μινωική θεά των όφεων, ίσως τη μητέρα θεά και την κόρη. Το μικρότερο από αυτά παριστάνει τη θεά όρθια, με ανασηκωμένα χέρια, να κρατάει από ένα φίδι στο καθένα. Φορεί το περίτεχνο μινωικό ένδυμα, το στενό περικόρμιο με μανίκια που αφήνει ακάλυπτο το πλούσιο στήθος, και το μακρύ φόρεμα που διαχωρίζεται σε επτά επάλληλα οριζόντια επίπεδα και καλύπτεται με κοντή ποδιά, ενώ στο κεφάλι φέρει χαμηλό περίτεχνο κάλυμμα, πάνω στο οποίο κάθεται ένας πάνθηρας. Η μορφή χαρακτηρίζεται από έλλειψη πλαστικότητας και οι σχετικά επίπεδες επιφάνειες ζωντανεύουν με τα εξωτερικά στοιχεία, όπως είναι το πλούσιο φόρεμα και το εντυπωσιακό κάλυμμα της κεφαλής. Στο σχεδόν τριγωνικό πρόσωπο κατέχουν εξέχουσα θέση τα μεγάλα, εκφραστικά μάτια, που μεταδίδουν όλη την ένταση της μορφής. Το ειδώλιο βρέθηκε μαζί με το δεύτερο, μεγαλύτερο της θεάς των όφεων και με πολλά ακόμη πολύτιμα αντικείμενα.

Sources and Contributors:
Small snake goddess figurine	........ [VP]
	........ Odysseus: Greek Ministry of Culture online (2012-) accessed 7 March 2018
Snake Goddess	........ [VP]
	........ Odysseus: Greek Ministry of Culture online (2012-) accessed 7 March 2018
Ειδώλιο της μικρής "θεάς των όφεων"	........ [VP]
	........ Odysseus: Greek Ministry of Culture online (2012-) http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/4/gh430.jsp?obj_id=7884

Subject: ....... [VP]

....................... Odysseus: Greek Ministry of Culture online (2012-) http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/4/eh430.jsp?obj_id=7884

Note:
English	..... [VP]
	..... Odysseus: Greek Ministry of Culture online (2012-) http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/4/eh430.jsp?obj_id=7884
Greek	..... [VP]
	..... Odysseus: Greek Ministry of Culture online (2012-)