Figurines in Hellenistic Babylonia: Miniaturization and Cultural Hybridity

Greek art had a significant impact on the miniature figure sculptures produced in Babylonia after the conquests of Alexander the Great. Figurines were used as agents of social change, encouraging visual and tactile engagement and facilitating cultural blending. Stephanie M. Langin-Hooper's research highlights the dynamic process of combining Greek and Babylonian sculpture forms, social customs, and viewing habits into new, hybrid works of art.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 332 pages
Publication date: 07 September 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

In this captivating volume, Stephanie M. Langin-Hooper delves into the profound influence of Greek art on the miniature figure sculptures crafted in Babylonia following the conquests of Alexander the Great. These figurines, serving as powerful agents of social change, emerged as vehicles for visually expressing and navigating cultural disparities. The scaled-down nature of these sculptures encouraged both visual and tactile engagement, enabling them to effectively function as non-threatening tools of cultural fusion. Through meticulous case studies, Langin-Hooper reconstructs the intricate embodied experience of miniaturization, shedding light on the dynamic process of blending Greek and Babylonian sculpture forms, social customs, and viewing habits into new, hybrid works of art. Her innovative approach, which views figurines as instruments of both personal encounter and global cultural shifts, holds significant implications for the study of tiny objects in art history, anthropology, classics, and other interdisciplinary fields.

In this captivating volume, Stephanie M. Langin-Hooper delves into the profound influence of Greek art on the miniature figure sculptures crafted in Babylonia following the conquests of Alexander the Great. These figurines, serving as powerful agents of social change, emerged as vehicles for visually expressing and navigating cultural disparities. The scaled-down nature of these sculptures encouraged both visual and tactile engagement, enabling them to effectively function as non-threatening tools of cultural fusion. Through meticulous case studies, Langin-Hooper reconstructs the intricate embodied experience of miniaturization, shedding light on the dynamic process of blending Greek and Babylonian sculpture forms, social customs, and viewing habits into new, hybrid works of art. Her innovative approach, which views figurines as instruments of both personal encounter and global cultural shifts, holds significant implications for the study of tiny objects in art history, anthropology, classics, and other interdisciplinary fields.

ISBN-13: 9781108738460