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The painted and restored cast of the Peplos Kore is one of the most provocative pieces in the Museum of Classical Archaeology's Cast Gallery. But why is she so brightly painted? Were all ancient sculptures coloured in such garish ways? And what does seeing her polychromy mean for how we understand classical whiteness?

Watch this video to find out.

 

Original: Athens, Akropolis Museum, 679. C.530 BCE.
Cast: MOCA no.34a. Purchased and painted in 1975.

Want to see the Peplos Kore for yourself? This cast can be found in Bay A in the Museum of Classical Archaeology.

Want to know more about the cast of the Peplos Kore? Check out their research catalogue.

 

This series of videos was produced by Communicator Limited. To see more of their work, find them on Vimeo and Twitter, @C21classics.