Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

6-2026

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Program

Classics

Advisor

Rachel Kousser

Subject Categories

Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity | Classical Archaeology and Art History | Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | Theory and Criticism

Keywords

aphrodite, knidia, statuettes, provenance, museum studies, american collecting, ancient art, looting, female gaze

Abstract

This thesis examines Hellenistic statuettes of the Knidian Aphrodite as independent works of art with distinct ancient contexts and modern collecting histories. Drawing on archaeological evidence from Delos, archival and public records from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and a comparative framework that places Hellenistic and modern collecting cultures in dialogue, this thesis aims to present the Knidia within the dynamic, interactive history of statuettes. Evaluated on its own terms rather than in relation to a lost original, Knidian Aphrodite statuettes illuminate both the richness of Hellenistic domestic religious life and the identity-driven ambitions of the institutions that collected it. The domestic space of the Hellenistic home, particularly as evidenced by findspots on Delos, emerges as the primary representation for Aphrodite statuette worship. By focusing on the statuette’s purpose as a devotional object in domestic spaces, Knidian statuettes are repositioned as a customizable, personal work of art and a site of deep religious connection for female worshippers. The female connection to the Knidia challenges the voyeuristic and male-centered readings that have dominated scholarship on the nude Aphrodite, and represents a more accurate understanding of Knidian reception in the period following Praxiteles.

A discussion of Tanagra figurines introduces issues of provenance and looting, as well as positioning the erotic allure of Hellenistic female figurines within the modern market appetite. This analysis leads into the second half of the paper, which examines how Aphrodite statuettes entered American collections through the activities of collectors and purchasing agents, including Edward Perry Warren, Luigi Palma di Cesnola, and John Marshall. Engaging recent provenance scholarship, this thesis contends that partial and unscientific collecting records, read critically, remain a valuable tool for reconstructing object histories. This framework reveals how the Knidian Aphrodite has been shaped by the needs of every audience, the ancient and modern alike, leading to a better understanding of one of history’s most famous sculptural types.

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