The Women of the Cyclades: From Baubo to Mavrogenous

Upon accomplishment astatine Eleftherios Venizelos Airport, travelers are greeted by an imposing replica of a Cycladic figurine, alongside different sculpted pistillate forms of the Early Cycladic period, with somewhat swollen bellies oregon engraved lines supra their pubic area, indicating pregnancy. Even hurried onlookers intermission to ticker the accompanying video, a prelude to the large archaeological accumulation titled “Kykladitisses: Untold Stories of Women successful the Cyclades,” organized by the Museum of Cycladic Art successful collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades. 

Inside the Museum of Cycladic Art (The Stathatos Mansion), 180 pieces spanning from aboriginal prehistory to the 19th period volition beryllium displayed crossed pristine achromatic galleries with brushed bluish pedestals. The colossal Archaic Kore of Thera (1st 4th of the 6th period BC), a singular find from 2000, requires peculiar handling. At astir 2 meters gangly and made of Naxian marble, it is lone missing the extremity of the chemoreceptor and the forearm of the close hand, which is resting connected the chest. The statue has almond-shaped eyes, sturdy shoulders, a agelong austere dress, and hairsbreadth parted into tresses that lucifer modern-day dreadlocks.

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Other cardinal exhibits see the striking Ladies’ Fresco from Akrotiri, Thera; an Attic black-figure kylix depicting an erotic country from past Thera; a Hellenistic figurine from Serifos provocatively portraying Baubo’s genitals; and a 4th–2nd period BC lamp from Folegandros which bears an erotic country connected its outer aboveground and inscriptions of names from initiation ceremonies that took spot astatine Chrysospilia inside.

The “Possessed” Neiko

Mykonos is represented with 2 stories that bespeak the relation of women successful matrimony negotiations: 1 from the precocious 4th–early 3rd period BC, and the different from 1690. The accumulation besides features the Bleeding Mistress from prehistoric Thera, Saint Anastasia the Pharmakolytria from Byzantine Naxos, the steatopygous Lady from the Saliagos islet northbound of Antiparos, and the “possessed” Neiko, whose tomb was uncovered successful 2018 during the restoration of the Episkopi of Sikinos.

Neiko was buried successful the basement of an past monument. Her bones were breached to acceptable her assemblage into the confined space, and she was interred with golden objects. Beneath her head, however, archaeologists recovered sulfur and transportation – grounds of a necrophobic exorcism. This ritual suggests that Neiko, an unfortunate noblewoman, apt suffered from epilepsy, a information that was poorly understood astatine the time.

Between Light and Shadow

These are conscionable a fewer of the stories brought to beingness successful the accumulation “Cycladic Women: Unknown Stories of Women from the Cyclades”, organized successful collaboration with the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades, and the Museum of Cycladic Art. The accumulation includes artifacts from the National Archaeological Museum, the Kanellopoulos Museum, the Epigraphic Museum of Athens, and backstage collections.

“Working connected this accumulation has deepened my admiration for women. For millennia, fractional of humanity lived nether unimaginable oppression. Even Christianity, portion preaching equality, did small to alteration this pattern. In fact, women’s presumption not lone failed to amended but often worsened,” says Dr. Dimitris Athanasoulis, manager of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades and co-curator of the exhibition. He worked alongside Dr. Panagiotis Iosif, Professor astatine Radboud University successful the Netherlands, and Dr. Ioannis Fappas, Assistant Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology astatine Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

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“The Museum of Cycladic Art, located successful the bosom of Athens, provides a cardinal level to showcase Cycladic civilization,” Dr. Athanasoulis continues. “As an Ephorate, we purpose to beforehand the Cyclades successful the superior portion besides supporting the islands. This summer, the accumulation volition coincide with the long-anticipated reopening of the Archaeological Museum of Thera, which had been closed for renovations.”

The Story of Neiko

Neiko’s communicative resonates profoundly with Dr. Athanasoulis. “Her relatives concealed her remains wrong the masonry of a structure, but astatine the aforesaid time, they honored her with a expansive mausoleum. It reflects a schizophrenic cognition toward the aforesaid person. I was besides moved by the communicative of Parthenika, a young pistillate from Santorini who died prematurely. Her sister, Damocleia, erected a monument to her, inscribed with sorrowful words expressing the extent of her grief. Another fascinating communicative is the beingness of Saint Theoktisti, recorded successful a 12th-century manuscript from the National Library of Greece. Abducted by Arab pirates from Lesvos, she escaped erstwhile they stopped successful Paros to resupply, and led a hermetic beingness successful the religion of Katapoliani.”

The Exhibition’s Importance

Panagiotis Iosif, technological manager of the Museum of Cycladic Art and co-curator of the exhibition, discusses its importance. “The accumulation presents past done the eyes of women successful the Cyclades. It besides includes masterpieces from astir each the Cycladic islands that are being showcased successful Athens for the archetypal time. It explores the roles of women implicit clip and however these roles were shaped by their transportation to the Cyclades. Although Cycladic men often defined and circumscribed these roles – whether arsenic mothers, wives, oregon daughters – they inactive placed women astatine the bosom of spiritual and mythological beingness . However, they besides excluded them from nationalist life, relegating them astir exclusively to household responsibilities. The communicative is perfectly captured by Kadia Sigala, an early-20th-century shipowner from Santorini, who seems to talk connected behalf of each her anonymous ancestors, who lone near down small, mostly chartless stories.”

The Resilience of Cycladic Women

Ioannis Fappas, besides a technological manager of the Museum of Cycladic Art and co-curator of the exhibition, reflects connected the resilience of Cycladic women: “Their dynamism was shaped by their scenery – arid, rocky, isolated yet connected with different islands. It is simply a spot some enchanting and unique. These women were bold, engaging successful economical transactions that benefited their communities and traveling worldwide to find their destiny successful the bosom of the Archipelago. They tested their narration with the divine, often becoming ascetics oregon saints themselves. The sea, ever-present, influenced their lives – some with its dangers and its committedness of freedom.”

Documents

A astonishing item of the accumulation is simply a acceptable of 2 letters by Manto Mavrogenous from Mykonos. The first, written successful 1825, is addressed to the Legislative Assembly, and the second, successful 1841, to King Otto. A combatant some during the Greek Revolution and successful times of peace, successful the archetypal letter, she offers everything she has, including her fortune, to the revolutionary cause. In the second, she asks to beryllium awarded the Medal of Honor and the Military Dowry Allowance. In a determination that highlights the sex disagreement of her era, Manto advocates for equality, demanding designation for women’s contributions and rights:

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“Your Majesty, the Fatherland was not liberated solely by men; Greek women besides personally fought the enemies of Faith and Country…”

According to Ioannis Fappas, “Equally important successful the accumulation is Mavrogenous’ contemporary, the distinguished intelligence from Andros, Evanthia Kairi. Through the writings of these 2 singular women from the Cyclades, we hint large steps toward the emancipation of women successful the pre- and post-revolutionary Greek authorities – a authorities that, portion acknowledging their contribution, fails to grant them arsenic they deserved.”

This nonfiction was antecedently published successful Greek at kathimerini.gr