Statue of a woman, known as the Lady of Auxerre

The Lady of Auxerre, masterpiece of the Daedalic style The circumstances surrounding the discovery of this statuette, which was found in the storeroom of the Auxerre museum in 1907, remain unknown. However, it is the finest example of the Daedalic style, which marked the renewal of stone sculpting in the Greek world in the seventh century BC. The U-shaped face, the heavy, stepped hair, and the strict frontality are hallmarks of this style, which takes its name from Daedalus, who is said to have created the first statues in antiquity. An uncertain identification Since we know nothing about the context in which the statuette was discovered, it is difficult to identify the person depicted or to determine the meaning of the gesture of the right hand. Some think that this is the image of a goddess, considering the many terracotta figurines of Middle Eastern divinities (Astarte in particular) that highlight their sexual attributes. Others see this statue as a simple mortal, the servant of some fertility cult or perhaps the dedicator herself making a gesture of prayer. The revival of stone sculpture in Crete in the Orientalizing period This work is a testament to the intense artistic activity that took place in the eastern regions of the Mediterranean basin during the Orientalizing period. Techniques and decorative motifs originating in Egypt and the Near East were spread by Greek artisans who blended these models with their own traditions. The Auxerre statuette was created in Crete in the seventh century, around 640–620 BC. The work is assigned to Crete because of the type of limestone used as well as similarities of the young woman's costume, gesture, and face with works in bronze, limestone, and clay that have been discovered on the island. Comparison with funerary material excavated at Eleutherna, in northern Crete, suggests that the Lady of Auxerre was found in this necropolis in the late nineteenth century.《欧塞尔夫人》是代达罗斯风格(Daedalic style)的巅峰之作。该小雕像于1907年在欧塞尔博物馆的储藏室中被发现，其出土背景至今仍不为人知。但它却是代达罗斯风格的典范之作，该风格标志着公元前7世纪希腊世界石雕艺术的复兴。U型面庞、厚重的阶梯状发型以及严格的正面性，皆是该风格的标志性特征——此风格之名源自代达罗斯，据传他是古希腊最早的雕像创作者。 身份辨识存疑 由于该小雕像的出土背景无迹可寻，我们既难以辨识其所刻画的人物身份，也无法确定其右手手势的寓意。有观点认为这是一位女神的形象，理由是诸多中东神祇(尤以阿斯塔蒂(Astarte)为代表)的陶俑皆会突出其性征。也有学者将此雕像视作普通凡人——或是某丰产崇拜的祭司，亦或是做出祈祷手势的供奉者本人。 东方化时期克里特岛石雕艺术的复兴 该作品见证了东方化时期(Orientalizing period)地中海东部盆地蓬勃的艺术创作活动。源自埃及与近东地区的工艺技法与装饰纹样，经由希腊工匠与本土传统融合后得以广泛传播。这座欧塞尔小雕像创作于公元前7世纪的克里特岛，大致年代为公元前640年至公元前620年。该作品被归为克里特岛出品，依据包括所用石灰岩材质，以及这位年轻女性的服饰、手势与面庞，与克里特岛出土的青铜、石灰岩及陶制同类作品高度相似。通过比对克里特北部埃莱夫尔纳(Eleutherna)出土的墓葬文物，可推断《欧塞尔夫人》于19世纪晚期出土于该古墓地。