Type of freestanding statue of a maiden (the female counterpart of the kouros ) that appeared with the beginning of Greek monumental sculpture (с 700 BC) and remained to the end of the Archaic period (с 500 BC).
Carved from marble and originally painted, the kore is a draped female figure standing erect with feet together or one foot slightly advanced. One arm is often extended, holding an offering; the other is lowered, usually clasping a fold of drapery. As in all Greek art, the kore evolved from a highly stylized form to a more naturalistic one. Its prototypes are found in Egyptian and Mesopotamian art.