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RESEARCH PRODUCT

A classification of the seated figures with widely splayed knees

subject

description

Seated figures with widely splayed knees are best known from the sculptures discovered over a century ago in southern France. The most famous examples come from Entremont and Roquepertuse. An invertory is provided here of all those known from Europe other than the southern French examples. Examples are known in stone, wood and metal. Common in Gaul, they are absent from the Celtic regions of central Europe and of Spain. Based on the corpus that has been established, a series of groups are proposed. These pay particular attention to the position of the legs, feet and arms of the figures. Both their attributes and their findspots are also considered. Details of their archaeological context are provided. In conclusion, chronological questions are reviewed, and comparisons are made with other contemporary representations of humans.