Torso of a Kouros

This fragment of an under life-size kouros (young man) wears a thin, short-sleeved tunic and a mantle draped over his left shoulder, typically East Greek attire. He has well-developed pectoral muscles and broad shoulders. Four long tresses of hair fall over his chest. Aside from anatomical features, the placement of the mantle is also a clue to the statue's gender. The equivalent female statue, or kore, wears the mantle over the right shoulder. The hairstyle of this kouros is similar to that seen on kouroi dating in the first quarter of the 6th century B.C.

Although most kouroi are portrayed nude, a small group of a few dozen clothed examples survives. These come primarily from the Greek settlements on the coast of Asia Minor (present-day western Turkey) and the Aegean islands, reflecting a regional variation. The sharply carved folds of the drapery in front and the engraved lines on the arms of the Getty’s kouros are characteristic of sculpture from the Greek island of Chios. These clothed kouroi have the same pose as their nude counterparts, standing with one foot advanced, and served the same functions. They were used both as funerary monuments and as religious dedications in sanctuaries.