Figurines of the ‘Plastiras type’, thus named after the cemetery on Paros where they were first identified, were contemporary with violinshaped figurines and represent the earliest attempt at the naturalistic rendering of the human figure in the 3rd millennium BC. These figurines, which are mainly female and of small dimensions (H. 7-31 cm), but also male, display some of the features that were to become distinctive traits of Early Cycladic sculpture, such as the position of the arms below the breasts and the ovoid head with relief nose.