Ancient Greek sculpture of the Geometric period, although derived from geometric shapes, bears evidence of artistic observation of nature in some circumstances. Small-scale sculpture, usually made of bronze, terra cotta, or ivory, was commonly produced during this time. Bronzes were made using the lost-wax technique, probably introduced from Syria, and were often left as votive offerings at sanctuaries such as Delphi and Olympia.
Human figures are made of a triangle as a torso that supports a bulbous head with a triangular chin and nose. Their arms are cylindrical, and only their legs have a slightly more naturalistic shape. These attributes can be seen in a small sculpture of a seated man drinking from a cup, which displays the typical modeling figures as simple, linear forms that enclose open space. Especially noteworthy are his elongated arms, which mirror the dimensions of his legs.
Seated Male Figure
Bronze. 750-700 BCE. 7.3 × 3.1 × 3.5 cm (2.9 × 1.2 × 1.4 in).
Relatively naturalistic rendering of human legs is also evident in Man and Centaur, also known as Heracles and Nessos (c. 750-730 BCE). Without the equine back and hind legs, the centaur portion of the sculpture is a shorter man with human legs. Like the seated man above, the two figures feature elongated arms, with the right arm of the centaur forming one continuous line with the left arm of the man. While the the seated man appears to be clean-shaven, the figures in Man and Centaur wear beards, which usually symbolized maturity. The hollowed eye sockets of the figure of the man probably once held inlay for a more realistic appearance.
Man and Centaur (Heracles and Nessos)
Bronze. 750-730 BCE. 4.5 in. tall.
Animals, including bulls, deer, horses, and birds, were also based in geometry. Horse figurines were commonly used as offerings to the gods. The animals themselves became symbols of wealth and status due to the high cost of keeping them. Equine bodies may be described as rectangles pinched in the middle with rectangular legs and tail and are similar in shape to deer or bulls. The heads of these mammals are more distinctive, as the horse's neck arches while the bull and deer have cylindrical faces distinguished by horns or ears. While the animals and people are based in basic geometric shapes, the artists clearly observed their subjects in order to highlight distinguishing characters.
Geometric Horse statuette
Bronze. Olympia, Greece. c. 700 BCE.