An archaic Greek cult statue, originally carved in wood and regarded as a sacred image.
A xoanon is an archaic Greek cult image, traditionally associated with early wooden statues of deities. Getty’s Art & Architecture Thesaurus defines xoana as Greek archaic cult statues originally made of wood, with later examples or copies in stone.
The term reminds the sculptor that early Greek sculpture did not emerge fully formed in marble: carved wood, cult practice, frontal presentation, and sacred function contributed to the development of Greek figural form.
Etymology
From Greek xoanon, a carved image or cult statue, related to xein, “to scrape, carve, or polish.”
Sculptor Notes
The xoanon is useful when studying the transition from carved timber to stone. Frontal stance, compact limbs, planar treatment, and structural economy may preserve habits formed in an earlier carving material.
References
https://www.getty.edu/vow/AATFullDisplay?find=&logic=AND¬e=work&subjectid=300400656