An Archaic Greek statue type representing a standing draped young woman or maiden; the plural is korai.
A kore is an Archaic Greek statue type representing a standing, clothed young woman or maiden. The plural is korai. These figures were often dedicated in sanctuaries and are especially associated with the sixth century BCE.
Korai provided Greek sculptors with a field for exploring stance, drapery, pattern, gesture, hair, color, and the relationship between the body and layered clothing. Many were originally brightly painted.
Etymology
From ancient Greek korē, “maiden” or “young woman.”
Sculptor Notes
The kore is particularly important to the history of figure sculpture because the body is understood through drapery rather than nudity. The carved garment becomes both surface pattern and a means of revealing the structure beneath it.
References
https://www.getty.edu/vow/AATFullDisplay?subjectid=300184818; https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248008; https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/greek-art-in-the-archaic-period