Sentence:  Whenever artists , indeed , turned to actual representations or molded three-dimensional figures , which were <WSD>rare</WSD> down to 800 B.C. , they tended to reflect reality ( see Plate 6a , 9b ) ; a schematic , abstract treatment of men and animals , by intent , rose only in the late eighth century . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness