The Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore: Terracotta Figurines of the Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman Periods (Corinth vol. 18.4)

'This is an important work that contributes greatly to both the study of terracotta figurines and to our understanding of the nature and conduct of the cult at the Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore....It is well organized and well illustrated, two very important attributes for any archaeological work. The detailed notes and extensive bibliography are reflective of the careful attention to detail that Merker displays throughout the study. This volume continues the high level of scholarship contained in the three previous volumes and is a worthy addition to the series.' - Scott Moore (Bryn Mawr Classical Review 02.02.2002) This volume publishes the terracotta figurines of the Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman periods from the Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore on Acrocorinth. The coroplastic finds from this site, numbering in total about 24,000 figurines and fragments, greatly enrich the known body of Corinthian figurines not only in number but also in the addition of many entirely new types and style. Working far beyond the output of the Potters' Quarter workshops, the Corinthian coroplasts are revealed as inventive, often highly adept in technique, and attuned to stylistic developments in the plastic arts in general. "About 24,000 figurines and fragments were found during excavations at the Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore, greatly enriching the known body of Corinthian figurines not only in number but also in the addition of many entirely new types and styles. Working far beyond the output of the Potters' Quarter workshops, the Corinthian coroplasts are revealed as inventive, often highly adept in technique, and attuned to stylistic developments in the plastic arts in general. Most importantly, the evidence suggests that there may have been a link in Corinth between the manufacture of terracotta figurines and small bronze ones, especially in the 4th and early 3rd centuries B.C., through the use of shared models. If this is true, the figurines provide a glimpse of the mostly lost bronze production of that period. The figurines are also important because they help to explicate the meaning and conduct of the cult of Demeter and Kore in Corinth. Since the literary sources and inscriptions are unfortunately not as abundant as one would wish, the nature and conduct of the cult must be understood largely through the architecture and other finds. The figural coroplastic art provides additional data on the deities and heroes recognized at the sanctuary, the age and gender of the participants in the rituals, the offerings they brought, and the nature of their cultic activities. Beyond these data, the figurines are examined for what they may reveal through their imagery of the underlying ideas of the cult, how the deities were perceived, why they were approached, and how the cult functioned as a part of Corinthian society."--Publisher's website. CONTENTS......Page 5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 7 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND ABBREVIATIONS......Page 8 I. INTRODUCTION......Page 26 II. CLASSICAL FIGURINES AND THEIR SURVIVALS......Page 48 CATALOGUE......Page 107 III. EARLY HELLENISTIC FIGURINES AND THEIR SURVIVALS......Page 140 CATALOGUE......Page 227 IV. MIDDLE HELLENISTIC FIGURINES......Page 274 CATALOGUE......Page 284 V. CLASSICAL AND HELLENISTIC VARIA......Page 290 CATALOGUE......Page 302 VI. CLASSICAL AND HELLENISTIC IMPORTED FIGURINES; EXTERNAL RELATIONS......Page 308 CATALOGUE......Page 324 VII. ROMAN FIGURINES......Page 336 CATALOGUE......Page 341 VIII. SUMMARIES......Page 346 CONCORDANCE OF INVENTORY AND CATALOGUE NUMBERS......Page 372 LOT LIST......Page 378 INDEX OF ANCIENT TEXTS CITED......Page 394 INDEX OF CORINTH COMPARANDA......Page 395 INDEX OF COMPARANDA IN MUSEUMS AND COLLECTIONS......Page 398 GENERAL INDEX......Page 399 About 24,000 figurines and fragments have been found on Acrocorinth, and this study greatly increases our understanding of the way in which this artform developed over the centuries. The figures depicted also reveal new evidence about the deities and heroes recognized at the sanctuary, the age and gender of the participants in the rituls, the offerings they brought, and the nature of their cultic activities.