Observations on the Production Technique of Milesian Terracottas in the 7th Century B.C. A Contribution to the Orientalising Phase of Early Greek Art

Abstract

The article illuminates a small segment of a rather larger issue, i. e. the orientalising phase of early Greek art. Detailed investigation of this matter became necessary when the newly-discovered sanctuary of Aphrodite in Miletos yielded – much to the surprise of the excavators – more than 1,200 so-called Daedalic terracottas. In archaeological research these are understood to indicate the absorption of iconographical types from Ancient Near East cultures into seventh-century Greek art. Hitherto the Daedalic style has mainly been linked to Doric art centres on the island of Crete and the Peloponnese. Now however this is augmented by a tradition in Ionia, significant in number and rich in iconography, possibly due to the geographical position of Miletos. To illuminate the phenomenon of transfer, a matter that might easily be fraught with ideological overtones, we should first provide solid groundwork. In our case this is achieved by a seemingly banal investigation into craftsmanship. The fact that the autochthonous Ionic terracottas continued through the entire seventh century provides an ideal basis for describing how the new patterns were received by the old workshops. This confirms the existing academic view of a partial restructuring within the stylistic appearance of the patterns. Furthermore it becomes evident that the old workshops radically imposed their modes of production, thus contributing to the fundamentals of the joint Daedalic style.