Priestess Aristonoe
description: Description: The portrait of Priestess Aristonoe is made entirely of marble. The marble has a yellow and brown tint and appears to have no traces of paint. She is in a contrapposto pose as the right leg is holding the weight of her body while the left leg is free and in motion. The statue of Aristonoe is missing her right forearm as well as the right hand. Furthermore, she is partially missing her left hand. Aristonoe’s toes stick out from underneath her clothing. Aristonoe is wearing a chiton under her himation. The himation is wrapped around her body and draped over her left shoulder. But, overall, her body is completley covered by the chiton and himation. Given the positioning of the elbows, the arms of the statue would have both been pointed away from the body, as seen with the left arm. Her hair has been parted down the center and pulled back into a bun. The priestess’ ears are slightly under her hair. There are also signs of age present on the statue. There are wrinkles and/or lines on Aristonoe’s neck. Additionally, she has lines by her nose and bags under her eyes. There is a chunk of marble missing from her nose and chin. It is also clear that the head of the statue was made separately, as it was probably sculpted before or after the body. The addition of the head can be seen on the neck where the two pieces meet. The statue of Priestess Aristonoe stands on a block of marble that includes an inscription. The inscription states Hierokles, her son, dedicated the statue of his mother to Themis and Nemesis. It also states that she is the daughter of Nikokrates a Rhamnusian. Significance: The statue of Aristonoe was completed in Greece in the 3rd century and has clear Hellenistic elements that make the portrait significant. The statue of Aristonoe was a votive statue dedicated to the gods, or in this case to Nemesis and Themis. Aristonoe’s chiton and himation cover her entire body evoking a sense of modesty. Modesty can also be seen in the simple hairstyle adorn…
creator: Unknown artist; Dedicated by Hierokles
source: Greece, Attica, Rhamnous, Sanctuary of Nemesis
date: 3rd Century BCE, Hellenistic Period
contributor: Ryan Milley
format: 162 cm tall