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  Magna Graecia: Greek Art From South Italy and Sicily > About the Exhibition > Reggio Calabria & Sybaris > Head of a Kore (about 500-480 BC)
 
 
Head of a Kore (about 500-480 BC)
Medma
Terracotta, pinkish-yellow refined clay, finished with a stick
Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Reggio Calabria, inv. 2893
[Cat. no. 33]

Head of a Kore (about 500-480 BC)

This less than life-size terracotta head of a woman may be that of Athena, the goddess of wisdom. It may have been part of a sculptural group that once decorated a temple. The expression of the face, called an "archaic smile" by art historians, was a stylistic convention and did not necessarily reflect an emotional state; instead, it was probably meant to convey a living presence.

Page 5 of 11 | On the next page: Temple Model (about 510-450 BC)