Early Sculpture at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

The Archaic period (650-480 B.C.) is usually divided about 550 B.C. into early sculpture and late phases. Examples of Greek archaic sculpture are abundant and of many materials, except wood because that has perished, both in relief and in the round. For statues in the round the "law of frontality" held as in Egypt and Mesopotamia. For figures in relief, which includes pedimental sculpture, the desire to represent things in their most characteristic attitudes was particularly strong during the early sculpture phase of the archaic when a single figure was done part in profile, part in full face. It is reasonable to assume that the older traditions of Mesopotamia and Egypt influenced Greek sculpture of this time.

These significant pti poses have generally been served by sculpture ( considerable size, and there is no doubt that largi ness promotes an effect of impressiveness i sculpture as it does in architecture. This i borne out by the observation that most sculptur which has been made merely to embellish or t delight is definitely under life-size or even of th statuette category. A notable exception to thi rule is found in fountain sculpture from the 16t! century on, where the architectural or arborea setting often requires commensurate scale in tb sculpture.

Sculpture, unlike painting, may be appreciated by touch as well as by seeing. Even if one does not actually touch it when contemplating a particular work of sculpture, the appreciation of the smoothness of surface and the modulation of one mass into another may be so strong that the mind receives the sensation of touching. This is commonly referred to as tactile quality, and oftentimes the kind of sculpture which produces a strong tactile expression is called plastic. Small works of sculpture, such as some of the Chinese jade carvings, invite one to take them in the hand.