Lady of Elche (La Dama de Elche)

In Belgium we say that there is no such thing as a stupid question, only a stupid answer.

When I was at school (yes, I know, a very long time ago…), I had a very wise geography master who took that train of thought a little further: he told us never to be afraid to ask questions and that if one person did not know something, then at least five other people in the class would want to ask the same question. (He was the same master who would not allow us to take notes during his classes, other than on the concrete blocks of our minds, as he put it. He was quite correct in both matters: note-taking is counter-productive and if you do not know about something, there are plenty of others in the same position.)

I was talking to one of our community members recently and was surprised that she had never heard of La Dama de Elche (the Lady of Elche). So, asking the question, "Who is the Dama de Elche?" and following the principles above, we see that

a. it is not a stupid question;

and

b. there must be quite a few other people in our community who know little or nothing about La Dama de Elche.

So, who is she?

Well "she" is really an "it," being a stone bust that was discovered by pure chance in 1897 on a small rise near Elche known as Alcudia (from the Arab word meaning a mound, or small hill). If you drive to Elche using the road though Benijófar, you pass by Alcudia a couple of kilometres before reaching Elche.

It is believed that the Dama de Elche is an Iberian sculpture, dating from the 4th century BC. Who she is, or what she represents is not known with any degree of certainty. Some suggest she represents the Carthaginian goddess Tanit, others that she is, in fact, an urn for storing the ashes of a cremation (a large aperture at the back might indicate this), and there have even been claims that she is a forgery, though these have been adequately dismissed.

What is known, is that she was once painted with lifelike colours and some remnants of these colours can be seen even with the naked eye.

La Dama de Elche was taken to France shortly after her discovery, but was returned to Spain in 1941. Since then she has been located in Madrid. However, between May and November 2006 the Dama was placed on temporary display in Elche and many people took the opportunity to admire her, often forming long queues to be able to do so.

She is a truly beautiful piece of sculpture, far more beautiful than any of the photos of her, and infinitely more so that the multiplicity of reproductions that exist in a whole range of sizes. Several "damas" have been found in Spain: the Dama de Baza, the Gran Dama Oferente, and our own Dama de Guardamar, of course, but none match the beauty of the Dama de Elche.

Here are some photos that I took when the Dama was on display in Elche in the Museo Arqueológico y de Historia (close to the park and well worth a visit). You usually only see her from the front, so I have included one from the back, too, showing the aperture referred to above. The quality of the photos is not wonderful, I'm afraid: the bust was enclosed in a thick glass case in a relatively dark room and I did not have a suitable tripod.

The area where the Dama was found has since become a major archaeological site and offers an interesting place to visit very close by, being no mire than a twenty-minute drive. Go through Benijófar and follow the signs to Elche. Shortly before reaching Elche, on the road of the many roundabouts) you will see signs to the right for Alcudia (if you miss the first lot, don't panic, there's another turning a bit further on). You can find more information, including videos and other documentation here.

David Neale