Orientalizing Period

In the Archaic phase of ancient Greek art and of Greek-inspired art, the Orientalizing period (also Orientalising period) is the cultural and art historical period which started during the later part of the 8th century BCE, when there was a heavy influence from the more advanced art of the Eastern Mediterranean and Ancient Near East. Monumental and figurative sculpture in this style is often called Daedelic.

The source areas were Syria and Assyria, and to a lesser extent Phoenicia, Israel, and Egypt; however, motifs were adapted, making it rarely possible to point to a single clear source. It was a new, Orientalizing style, spurred by a period of increased cultural interchange in the Aegean world.

The period is characterized by a shift from the prevailing Geometric style to a style with different sensibilities, which were inspired by the East. The intensity of the cultural interchange during this period is sometimes compared to that of the Late Bronze Age.

Among surviving artefacts, the main effects are seen in painted pottery and metalwork, as well as engraved gems. Monumental and figurative sculpture was less affected, and there the new style is often called Daedelic. A new type of face is seen, especially on Crete, with "heavy, overlarge features in a U- or V-shaped face with horizontal brow"; these derive from the Near East.

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