Focus on this artwork and explain the Symbolism.
According to Svenbro, the Phrasikleia Kore may be modeled after the Goddess Hestia. As defined in the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, Hestia is explicitly referred to as koúrē, who swears to remain a virgin forever. The hymn claims that Hestia was called upon by Zeus to be honored as a god, rather than to remain on earth to be married. Evidence may be seen when compared to the epigram on the Phrasikleia Kore; "Kore (maiden) I must be called evermore; instead of marriage, by the Gods this name became my fate."
The lotus, which is repeated on the crown of the Phrasikleia Kore and held in her left hand, is an Egyptian funerary symbol used by the Greeks. It would have been customary to adorn the dead with a floral crown, like the one seen on the Phrasikleia Kore. The crown of lotuses worn by the statue may carry a double meaning: the round shape, with the spear-like lotus buds that make up the crown, may reference the gates of the underworld. The lotus is not only used on the crown, but also held in the hand of the kore; it is thought to represent Phrasikleia: "plucked before it could bloom," representing her status as a virgin and unmarried woman at the time of her death.
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