The marble figurines are the masterpieces of Cycladic Art and some of the most preliminary representations of human form. The almost planar, marble forms characterized by simplicity and harmonious proportions, impressed and inspired artists such as Brancusi and Modigliani and others at the beginning of the 20^th century. This figurine could represent a woman in a state of pregnancy, or a deity connected with the fertility of nature.

We cannot interpret the different roles of men and women with certainty, as no written texts or depictions of that time have survived. While female figurines are depicted with folded arms, in a passive position, male figurines depict men in movement or with characteristics which denote a role. The figurines of hunters, warriors, musicians are representative examples of this. The special place of woman is also confirmed by the fact that 90% of the figurines are female.

Between gender roles

The (non-)identification with one gender has always heated up tempers and shed light on general socially accepted role models. Ida Maly, who lived an unconventional and emancipated life as an artist, depicted herself as a garçonne, a woman of boyish appearance, in her self-portrait. The breaking with stereotyped roles defined by society and the suspension of typically female and male gender identity were characteristic features of her works. Ida Maly was committed to a psychiatric hospital in 1928. In 1941, she was murdered in the frame of the Nazi euthanasia programme.

Learn more about the object: https://360.grazmuseum.at/en/objects/selbstportraet-gra-16-12279

This rare loose-sheet map of Cyprus was issued in 1570, the year the Fourth Ottoman-Venetian War (1570-1573), also known as the “Guerra di Cipro”, had begun. The island’s shape is not based on any serious survey and unlike most maps of Cyprus, the map is not oriented towards the north, but the east. Cyprus is shown surrounded by an armada of warships, mostly Venetian with the exception of the top right corner showing Ottoman ships coming from Asia Minor, where the Ottomans are said to have set sail.

Silk weaving has been present in Cyprus since the Byzantine period. The cultivation of silkworms and the production of silk –sericulture– was mainly an industrial process used to manufacture durable linen and clothing but was also approached in villages as a type of folk art. It is likely that silk cocoon embroidery was originally a way of utilising cocoons unsuitable for silk production. Using empty silk cocoons cut into shapes, Cypriots decorated velvet, satin or other fabrics with elaborate nature-inspired compositions. The family remained the centre of production,  spinning and weaving of silk,  and sericulture was reduced to a form of home craft. The frames decorated with silk cocoons show how natural materials can be used in different processes and roached in new  ways.

Pyxides were clay vessels with a lid and were used for placing and safekeeping women’s jewellery and cosmetics. Most probably, the horses on the lid symbolize the privileged class of knights. This pyxis with four horses on the lid belonged to a man and was considered a luxurious grave offering. The owner of the pyxis was a privileged and wealthy man, who most probably belonged to the class of the aristocrats.

This pyxis represents the social hierarchy of the time.  It is important to stress that this pyxis would never be owned by poor people or people who were not aristocrats so the pyxis is a sign of social inequality which was of course the norm at that time.

The creator of the pyxis was a skilled potter who owned an important pottery workshop in Athens. He belonged to the social class of merchants and artisans. His name is unknown. Over time, the merchants started questioning the power of the aristocrats. One would say that the middle class, as we know it today, emerged from the merchants and artisans.

The temple boy is a type of statuette popular in Cyprus as well as the Levant region.   The round-faced boy sits on an irregular plinth and is adorned with bracelets round both wrists.   Many interpretations as to the use and purpose of the temple boy statuettes have been put forward, mainly that they served as votive offerings to both male and female divinities.   One interpretation explains that these offerings represent a wish for a male child, an ambition that is exemplary of the expectations that many cultures have for male offspring even today.   Linked to hierarchies in patriarchal societies, objects such as these highlight stark differences between genders when it comes to social expectations, status and discrimination on the basis of gender.

The postcard depicts a group of potters in the village of Phini in Cyprus making chatties, otherwise known as pottery jars or amphorae.

Having a unique and extensive tradition in pottery going back centuries, Phini has been one of the four most important centers of the craft in Cyprus. The craft has long been fruitful for the inhabitants of the village, with entire families being involved in the production of ceramic objects. Traditionally men made large earthenware storage vessels, whereas women manufactured vessels for keeping and transporting agricultural products and water. Today, this unique style of pottery is preserved by the women of Phini.

The richly decorated Gingerbread Baker’s Chest is a symbol of a rich craft tradition. The Gingerbread Baker’s were one of many guilds that formed in the Middle Ages, building up communities and organising the crafts. The rules of the guilds ensured the preservation and passing on of the crafts. The system of rules became a tradition. Guild chests were an integral element of each guild, as they served to keep important documents. The trade regulations of 1859 marked the end of the guilds in Austria. The industrial revolution was accompanied by a change in the craft sector, knowledge of craft skills got lost and the passing on of intangible heritage became increasingly less important. Nevertheless, traditional crafts are still used today, which raises the question of value and significance anew.

Learn more about the object: https://360.grazmuseum.at/en/objects/innungstruhe-der-grazer-lebzelter/

After the First World War, people suffered from hunger. Especially the increased food prices led to the escalation of a social conflict in Graz on 7 July 1920, which manifested itself in a hunger riot. Since food was hardly affordable, women went to the market places and called out for cheaper prices to feed their families. They especially protested against high prices of cherries, which were in high demand because of the jam tax and the shortage of sugar. Throughout the day more and more people joined the protest whereby the situation got out of hand. 13 people died. Rising food prices and a growing number of people living in the precariat continue to challenge societies around the world.

learn more about the object: https://360.grazmuseum.at/en/objects/kirschenrummel-1920-gra-05-02241/

The paintings depict young women working with a “doulappin”, a simple manual machine that spins thread into loops to be used in the preparation woven and other textiles. Kkashialos was a self-taught naïve artist. His work was deeply inspired by Cyprus and profoundly captures the customs, traditions and everyday life of Cypriots.

White lekythoi were clay vessels used for the storage of aromatic oils. In this lekythos, a veiled female figure approaches a grave holding a basket filled with offerings. The scene is watched by a young man, probably the dead.

Lekythoi were produced in ceramic workshops located in the Kerameikos area, in Athens. For the potter to construct the lekythos, he first moulded the vessel on the wheel. The grip was constructed separately and later attached to the vessel. Following that, the potter coated the surface of the vessel with a very fine slip of white clay (kaolin) as a base for the painter to design the iconography. Firing was the last stage of construction.

Most contemporary ceramics are constructed on electric wheels and are decorated with glazed colours,  burned in kiln, glazed and fired for a second time. Today there are contemporary potters that continue to observe ancient techniques and incorporate them into their practice.