Studia Varia from the J. Paul Getty Museum Volume

Transcription

O C C A S I O N A L PAPERS O N A N T I Q U I T I E S , 8
Studia Varia
from the J. Paul Getty Museum Volume I
M A L I B U , C A L I F O R N I A 1993
© 1993 The J. Paul Getty Museum
17985 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, California 90265-5799
(310) 459-7611
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 2112
Santa Monica, California 90407-2112
Christopher Hudson, Publisher
Cynthia Newman Bohn, Managing Editor
Project staff:
Editors: Marion True, Curator of Antiquities, and Ken Hamma,
Associate Curator of Antiquities
Manuscript Editors: Benedicte Gilman, Angela Thompson, and
Ilaria Dagnini Brey
Designer: Kurt Hauser
Production Coordinator: Suzanne Watson Petralli
Production Artist: Eileen Delson
All photographs by the Department of Photographic Services,
J. Paul Getty Museum, unless otherwise noted.
Typography by Andresen Typographics, Tucson, Arizona
Printed by Gardner Lithograph, Buena Park, California
Cover: Sphinx from terracotta relief. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum
79.AD.195.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Studia varia.
p. cm.—(Occasional papers on antiquities : 8)
English, German, and Italian.
ISBN 0-89236-203-0 :
1. Art objects, Classical. 2. Art objects—California—Malibu.
3. J. Paul Getty Museum. I. J. Paul Getty Museum. II. Series.
NK665.S78
1993
709 ' . 3 8 ' 07479493—dc20
93-16382
CIP
Contents
Three Pairs o f Etruscan Disc Ear O r n a m e n t s
5
LISA B U R K H A L T E R
Images o f Piety and H o p e : Select Terracotta Votives f r o m
13
West-Central Italy
STEPHEN SMITHERS
E i n Terrakottarelief m i t S p h i n x u n d G r e i f
33
ANGELIRA DIERICHS
Some I o n i c A r c h i t e c t u r a l Elements f r o m Selinus i n the
55
Getty M u s e u m
BARBARA A. BARLETTA
B e l l e r o p h o n and the C h i m a i r a i n M a l i b u : A Greek M y t h and an
63
Archaeological C o n t e x t
HERBERT H O F F M A N N
Q u a t t r o statue i n terracotta p r o v e n i e n t i da Canosa
71
M A R I A LUCIA FERRUZZA-GIACOMMARA
E i n Horosspeer i n M a l i b u
83
K L A U S PARLASCA
T h e G e t t y H o m e r Fragment
MARIANINA
93
OLCOTT
A Silver T r i t o n H a n d l e i n the G e t t y M u s e u m
99
BERYL BARR-SHARRAR
A G r o u p o f Late A n t i q u e J e w e l r y i n the G e t t y M u s e u m
B A R B A R A DEPPERT-LIPPITZ
107
This page intentionally left blank
5
Three Pairs o f Etruscan Disc Ear Ornaments
LISA
BURKHALTER
T h e Etruscans' love for j e w e l r y is evident i n t h e i r art,
especially that f o u n d i n funerary contexts.
1
Excava
along w i t h m e n t i o n o f comparative w o r k s , is f o l l o w e d
by suggestions for methods o f w e a r i n g the discs i n
tions o f t o m b s i n E t r u r i a reveal the w e a l t h o f these
antiquity, a discussion o f prototypes for the discs, and
people and the h i g h q u a l i t y o f their
finally a discussion o f possible locations for g o l d w o r k
craftsmanship
o f gold, each fostered i n part by the economic pros
p e r i t y o f the o r i e n t a l i z i n g p e r i o d . T h e Etruscan m e t a l
shops i n ancient E t r u r i a .
Set A (83. A M . 2.1) is the largest o f the three pairs,
w o r k e r s perfected the techniques o f g r a n u l a t i o n — t h e
w i t h each disc measuring 4.7 c m i n diameter (fig. 1).
application to a g o l d
o f small spheres o f
Each disc is composed o f a circular sheet o f g o l d
g o l d i n rows and patterns—and filigree—decorative
encased by a t h i n , flat r i m that projects s l i g h t l y above
designs
formed from
surface
folded w i r e .
2
T h r o u g h these
and b e l o w the sheet along the edge. T h e upper surface
detailed g o l d s m i t h i n g processes, they produced elabo
is decorated w i t h seven rosettes, one i n the center and
rate necklaces, bracelets, rings, diadems, fibulae, and
the r e m a i n i n g six e n c i r c l i n g i t . Each rosette has a cen
ear ornaments.
tral floral element connected by t w e n t y - t w o radiate
A m o n g the f i n e r y w o r n by Etruscan w o m e n ,
strips to an e n c i r c l i n g band o f granulation, w h i c h is
their ear ornaments are o f particular interest. Various
surrounded by folded r i b b o n . T h e spandrels between
styles were p o p u l a r at different times. D u r i n g
the
the central and the s u r r o u n d i n g rosettes are filled w i t h
s i x t h century B . C . g o l d disc ornaments and another
u n w o r k e d g o l d sheet. Each o f the outer
type o f ear decoration, often referred t o w i t h the I t a l
contains a finely detailed woman's face produced i n
ian t e r m a baule for its resemblance t o a valise, were
repousse w i t h a granule p o s i t i o n e d beneath the c h i n .
popular i n E t r u r i a . W h i l e the a baule t y p e was u n i q u e
T h e decorative elements were probably made sepa
spandrels
to E t r u r i a , the disc was popular i n other areas o f the
rately and then arranged, pressed o n the sheet, and
Mediterranean as w e l l . D u r i n g the fifth century, the a
heated s l i g h t l y t o adhere. O n the back o f the discs at
baule style fell o u t o f fashion, and another t y p e o f ear
the center is a p r o j e c t i n g h o l l o w g o l d tube e n d i n g i n a
5
ornament, called en grappe for the grapelike cluster at
small loop. I m p r i n t s o f the rosettes o n the upper sur
the b o t t o m o f the design, then gained p o p u l a r i t y i n
face appear o n the back.
E t r u r i a d u r i n g the f o u r t h century. T h e disc apparently
T h e closest stylistic parallel for these ornaments
c o n t i n u e d t o be a fashionable article o f j e w e l r y i n t o
is a pair o f discs i n the L o u v r e that also has a design
the f o u r t h c e n t u r y as w e l l .
3
made f r o m seven rosettes, one i n the center and the
I n 1983 the D e p a r t m e n t o f A n t i q u i t i e s i n the
other six e n c i r c l i n g i t (fig. 2 ) . T h e inner spandrels
G e t t y M u s e u m acquired three pairs o f Etruscan g o l d
here, however, bear some detailed g r a n u l a t i o n , and
disc ornaments that date f r o m the s i x t h c e n t u r y B . C .
6
4
T h o u g h t t o be f r o m Caere ( m o d e r n Cerveteri), these
pieces are beautiful examples o f the Etruscans' s k i l l i n
the designs i n the outer spandrels depict palmettes,
also i n repousse, rather than women's faces.
Like
set
A , the
discs
i n the
Getty's
set
Β
g o l d w o r k i n g and their decorative processes o f g r a n
(83. A M . 2.2) are made o f a circular sheet o f g o l d encased
u l a t i o n and filigree. T h e fine c o n d i t i o n o f the pieces
by a t h i n , flat r i m that projects slightly above and below
may indicate that they were n o t w o r n often i n a n t i q
at the edge o f the sheet (fig. 3). Each measures 4.2 c m
uity, b u t perhaps served as grave offerings, for use i n
i n diameter. T h e decoration o n the upper surface c o n
the afterlife. A detailed description o f these pieces,
sists o f a central rosette surrounded b y t w o concentric
6 Burkhalter
FIGURE
ι
Pair of gold Etruscan disc ornaments. Malibu, f. Paul Getty Museum 8 3 . A M . 2 . 1 .
FIGURE 2
Pair of gold Etruscan disc ornaments. Paris, Musee du Louvre Bj 43—44. Photo courtesy
Musee du Louvre.
rings o f o r n a m e n t a t i o n . T h e central rosette is c o m
every alternating fleurette is covered i n g o l d dust. T h e
prised o f a granulated boss and three radiate leaves,
outer b a n d o f decoration consists o f t w e n t y - e i g h t
each w i t h a m i d d l e v e i n o f t w i s t e d w i r e . Set b e t w e e n
fleurettes,
each o f the leaves o f the central rosette, s l i g h t l y b e l o w
sheet inset w i t h a bead covered i n g o l d dust i n the
each made o f a concave hemisphere o f g o l d
the h o r i z o n t a l plane o f the disc, is a three-dimensional
center. B e t w e e n this final area o f o r n a m e n t a t i o n and
lion's head w o r k e d i n repousse. O n either side o f each
the edge o f the disc is a band o f g o l d r i b b o n folded i n
l i o n s head is a w i r e e n d i n g i n a g o l d sphere.
The
ornaments are constructed so that the cen
tral rosette is set i n t o the piece, b e l o w the plane o f the
a serpentine f o r m , f o l l o w e d b y a strip o f beaded g o l d
w i r e . O n the back o f each disc, a small h o l l o w g o l d
tube that ends i n a l o o p projects f r o m the center.
decorated surface. A t the center o f the u n d e r l y i n g
Two
w o r k s m a y serve as stylistic parallels for
sheet, a small circle o f g o l d was cut away and replaced
this pair o f discs: a pair o f s i m i l a r discs i n the collec
w i t h a concave hemisphere o f g o l d sheet soldered at
t i o n o f the M e t r o p o l i t a n M u s e u m o f A r t i n N e w Y o r k
the back. T h i s area cradles the central rosette. I m m e
(fig.
diately s u r r o u n d i n g this is a circle o f g o l d spheres
(fig. 5 ) . L i k e the discs i n the G e t t y M u s e u m , these
encased b y a w i d e b a n d o f g o l d sheet covered w i t h
pieces have a central rosette s u r r o u n d e d b y concentric
t i n y g o l d granules and f i n a l l y encircled by g o l d w i r e .
rings o f decoration. M o r e i m p o r t a n t l y , however, each
The
m i d d l e b a n d o f o r n a m e n t consists o f t w e n t y
fleurettes,
4) and a single disc i n the B r i t i s h M u s e u m
7
disc bears a central rosette w i t h three l i o n s heads,
each composed o f a single granule set i n a
produced i n repousse and set b e t w e e n three radiate
circular spiral o f g o l d w i r e ; the central granule o f
leaves. These discs appear t o have been assembled i n a
Etruscan Disc Ear Ornaments
F I G U R E
3
Pair of gold Etruscan disc ornaments. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum 83. A M . 2.2.
F I G U R E
4
Pair of gold Etruscan disc ornaments. New York, The Metropolitan Museum of
Art, Rogers Fund, 1913, 13.225.30.Α-B. Photo courtesy The Metropolitan Museum
of Art.
F I G U R E
5
Gold Etruscan disc ornament. London, British
Museum GR 1980.2-1.42. Photo courtesy Trustees of
the British Museum.
η
8
Burkhalter
granules. T h e first b a n d o f decoration s u r r o u n d i n g the
central rosette is a strip o f g o l d sheet covered w i t h
granules. T h e second band, consisting o f f o r t y g o l d
spheres, is encircled i n beaded w i r e . T h e t h i r d b a n d o f
o r n a m e n t consists o f a p a t t e r n o f alternating palmettes
and lotus leaves w o r k e d i n repousse. T h e f i n a l b a n d o f
decoration consists o f s i x t y - o n e convex
hemispheres
p r o d u c e d i n repousse, each w i t h a granule o n top. T h e
FIGURE 6
backs o f the discs are heavily encrusted, perhaps f r o m
Pair of gold Etruscan disc ornaments. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum
burial conditions.
83.AM.2.3.
8
W h i l e there does n o t appear t o be any direct
stylistic parallels for this pair, t w o i n d i v i d u a l discs i n
the B r i t i s h M u s e u m share some decorative details.
T h e central rosette o f one disc has a design s i m i l a r t o
that f o u n d o n the G e t t y M u s e u m ' s pieces (fig. 7 ) .
9
Instead o f t w e l v e r a d i a t i n g strips, however, the m a i n
rosette has eight t h i n r a d i a t i n g leaves, each w i t h a r o w
o f granules d o w n the center. A n o t h e r disc i n the B r i t
ish
Museum
has
a
similar
design
o f alternating
repousse palmettes and lotus leaves i n the outer b a n d
FIGURE 7
Gold Etruscan disc ornament. London, British Museum GR 1872.64.743. Photo courtesy Trustees of the British Museum.
o f decoration (fig. 8 ) .
1 0
T h e flat f o r m o f these discs, w i t h t h e i r decorated
upper surface and the small tube p r o j e c t i n g p e r p e n
d i c u l a r l y f r o m the back o f some, suggests that they
s i m i l a r fashion, each w i t h a s m a l l circle o f g o l d sheet
served as ear ornaments,
cut away f r o m the center and replaced w i t h a concave
been p r o p o s e d .
hemisphere o f g o l d sheet soldered at the back. T h e
ings and architectural terracotta antefixes frequently
11
a l t h o u g h other uses have
S i x t h - c e n t u r y Etruscan t o m b p a i n t
disc i n the B r i t i s h M u s e u m is larger t h a n those i n the
depict w o m e n w i t h decorated discs at the ear,
G e t t y c o l l e c t i o n , m e a s u r i n g 6.1 c m i n diameter. I t is
p o r t i n g the a r g u m e n t for t h e i r use i n this m a n n e r .
sup
also m o r e elaborately decorated w i t h a d d i t i o n a l rings
As the backs o f the discs are n o t i l l u s t r a t e d i n ancient
12
o f g r a n u l a t i o n and a r i n g o f g o l d spheres a r o u n d the
representations, t h e i r m e t h o d o f attachment t o the ear
central rosette. T h e pair o f discs i n the M e t r o p o l i t a n
is n o t clear. T h e p r o j e c t i n g tube o n the back p r o b a b l y
M u s e u m shares the basic design and c o n s t r u c t i o n o f
w o u l d have passed t h r o u g h the earlobe, and a s m a l l
those i n M a l i b u . T h e y differ s l i g h t l y i n the o r n a m e n t
p i n c o u l d have been placed t h r o u g h a l o o p at the end
i m m e d i a t e l y s u r r o u n d i n g the central rosette and i n the
to h o l d the disc i n place, r e s t i n g flat against the ear-
size o f the
lobe.
fleurettes
i n the outer b a n d o f ornament.
T h e central rosettes o f the discs i n N e w Y o r k are sur
13
These ornaments m i g h t also have been w o r n
t h r o u g h a head c o v e r i n g usually referred t o as an ear
r o u n d e d b y a b a n d o f p l a i n w i r e encased w i t h i n a
cap, a close-fitting headdress k n o w n t o have
b a n d o f w i r e folded i n serpentine f o r m rather than by
w o r n i n C y p r u s d u r i n g the s i x t h c e n t u r y B . C .
been
1 4
The
a r i n g o f g o l d spheres encased i n a b a n d o f granula
caps appear t o have been heavily decorated w i t h j e w
t i o n . T h e fleurettes i n the outer b a n d o f decoration are
ellike attachments,
w i d e r than those o n the discs i n the G e t t y M u s e u m .
were made o f c l o t h or metal.
The
(83. A M . 2.3),
remaining
set
of
Getty
discs,
set
C
is the smallest o f the three pairs, each disc
b u t i t is u n c e r t a i n w h e t h e r they
T h e first disc ear ornaments p r o b a b l y appeared
in Ionia.
15
T h e earliest stylistic p r o t o t y p e for the ear
measuring 3.2 c m i n diameter (fig. 6). Each disc has a
disc, however, appears t o be the ear s t u d that devel
central floral element s u r r o u n d e d b y four concentric
oped i n E g y p t d u r i n g the A m a r n a p e r i o d o f the N e w
bands o f decoration. T h e central rosette consists o f a
Kingdom
circle o f t w e l v e w i d e l y spaced, radiate strips o f g o l d ,
metal, or faience, these s m a l l studs had a t h i c k shaft
each bearing a r o w o f granules a l o n g its center. I n the
that, w h e n inserted i n t o a hole i n the lobe, left the
center o f this rosette is a hole t h r o u g h w h i c h projects
decorated boss exposed at the base o f the ear.
a w i r e t e r m i n a t i n g i n a small, flat disc covered w i t h
particular style o f ear o r n a m e n t m a y have spread f r o m
(1378-1362 B . C . ) .
Made
o f stone,
glass,
16
This
Etruscan Disc Ear Ornaments 9
city c o u l d purchase significant quantities o f g o l d f r o m
the nearby
koussai.
22
Greek
As
the
colonies o f C u m a e
southernmost
and
Pithe-
m a r i t i m e city
of
E t r u r i a , Caere was also the closest Etruscan c i t y t o the
Greek colonies and therefore u n i q u e l y exposed
to
their c u l t u r a l influence i n g o l d w o r k i n g as w e l l
as
other crafts.
W h i l e Caere had access t o the countries o f the
Mediterranean t h r o u g h its p o w e r f u l navy, the city also
had significant connections t o other Etruscan t o w n s
by land. W i t h e c o n o m i c ties t o C l u s i u m , Caere appar
ently
influenced the
area o f L a t i u m ,
for
similar
j e w e l r y and p o t t e r y have been f o u n d i n t o m b s o f the
same date i n these places.
23
Caeretan bronze w o r k s
have been f o u n d at Perugia, w h i l e Caeretan bucchero
pottery
has
been
recovered
i n Campania.
24
With
regard t o Caeretan j e w e l r y , Luisa B a n t i states: " B o t h
the taste for j e w e l r y and the techniques used to p r o
FIGURE 8
duce i t arrived f r o m the east or f r o m Rhodes. Soon the
Gold Etruscan disc ornament. London, British Museum GR
1881.5-28.2. Photo courtesy Trustees of the British Museum.
Caeretan g o l d s m i t h s o u t d i d t h e i r models and masters
and e x p o r t e d t h e i r products to other cities i n E t r u r i a ,
L a t i u m and as far as C u m a e , i n southern I t a l y . "
25
Μ . Ε B r i g u e t suggests that a w o r k s h o p existed
E g y p t t o the Near East, w h e r e i t was perhaps m o d i
fied, and later t o Greece t h r o u g h contacts w i t h I o n i a .
17
T h e earliest Greek example o f a figure w i t h discs at
i n Caere for the en grappe style o f ear o r n a m e n t d u r i n g
the f o u r t h c e n t u r y B . C . , for almost all o f the terracotta
antefixes w i t h these ornaments come f r o m this area.
the ear seems t o be a clay head o f uncertain gender
Considering
from
Mycenaean
t h r o u g h o u t the o r i e n t a l i z i n g p e r i o d , an earlier w o r k
18
shop there seems probable. T w o discs i n the V i l l a
Amyklaion,
dating to
the
Late
p e r i o d , n o w i n the N a t i o n a l M u s e u m i n A t h e n s .
Caere's
location
and
trade
26
activity
Here the discs are n o t three-dimensional b u t p a i n t e d
G i u l i a k n o w n t o be f r o m Caere are smaller than those
o n the figure's earlobes. T h e p o p u l a r i t y o f disc ear
in
ornaments i n Greece d u r i n g the A r c h a i c p e r i o d is e v i
n u m b e r 46, bears the same m o t i f o f a granule set i n a
dent i n the kore figures f r o m the A t h e n i a n akropolis,
circular spiral o f g o l d w i r e as f o u n d o n the Getty's
m a n y o f w h o m wear discs at the ear.
19
The custom
m a y t h e n have spread to E t r u r i a d u r i n g the o r i e n t a l i z
the
set B .
Getty Museum,
2 7
yet one
o f these w o r k s ,
G i v e n the lack o f i n f o r m a t i o n about ancient
w o r k s h o p s and t h e i r locations, i t is difficult further t o
i n g p e r i o d , either t h r o u g h contacts w i t h the Near East
associate the ear ornaments i n the G e t t y M u s e u m w i t h
or t h r o u g h trade w i t h the Greeks.
a certain city; however, they m a y be considered w i t h
Because m o s t ancient j e w e l r y does n o t have a
precise provenance, specific g o l d w o r k s h o p s i n E t r u r i a
similar
works
as
possible
products
o f the
same
workshop.
have n o t been established. To date, n o evidence o f
T h e decorative features o f the t w o larger pairs o f
g o l d w o r k s h o p s themselves has been recovered f r o m
discs i n the G e t t y M u s e u m , set A (fig. 1) and set Β
excavations. T h e d i s t r i b u t i o n o f f i n d spots for the disc
(fig. 3), and o f their related w o r k s may indicate that
ornaments k n o w n today, however, suggests that there
each o f these groups shares a c o m m o n o r i g i n . A s dis
was a southern atelier, presumably i n one o f the major
cussed i n the earlier descriptions, the closest stylistic
O n e possible l o c a t i o n for a g o l d w o r k s h o p
parallel to set A i n the G e t t y M u s e u m (fig. 1) is the
d u r i n g the e i g h t h and seventh centuries B . C . is Caere.
pair o f discs i n the L o u v r e (fig. 2), w h i c h entered that
T o m b excavations reveal the w e a l t h o f this c i t y d u r i n g
m u s e u m as part o f the Campana collection i n 1861.
cities.
20
28
the o r i e n t a l i z i n g p e r i o d . Located o n the west coast o f
Each o f these pieces is s i m i l a r i n size and each bears a
Italy, Caere had convenient access to the r i c h i r o n and
design o f seven rosettes,
copper mines o f the r e g i o n . These resources p r o v i d e d
other six e n c i r c l i n g i t , w i t h repousse w o r k i n the
the financial means t h r o u g h w h i c h merchants o f the
outer spandrels.
21
one i n the center and the
ίο
Burkhalter
T h e pair o f discs i n N e w Y o r k (fig. 4) and the
disc i n the B r i t i s h M u s e u m (fig. 5) serve as the closest
parallels t o set Β (fig. 3) i n the G e t t y M u s e u m . U n f o r
tunately, there is n o specific provenance i n f o r m a t i o n
about these w o r k s ; yet, their s i m i l a r decorative fea
tures and m e t h o d
o f c o n s t r u c t i o n suggest s i m i l a r
origins. Each o f these w o r k s is decorated w i t h c o n
centric rings o f o r n a m e n t a t i o n a r o u n d a distinct cen
tral rosette, w h i c h consists o f a granulated boss w i t h
three l i o n s heads w o r k e d i n repousse and set between
three radiate leaves. A d d i t i o n a l l y , each o f these pieces
is assembled i n the same manner, w i t h the central area
o f the u n d e r l y i n g plate cut away and a concave h e m i
sphere o f g o l d sheet soldered a r o u n d this edge o n t o
the back.
C o n s i d e r i n g t h e i r m a r k e d stylistic similarities,
1419, single disc. Diam: 6.8 cm. Acquired 1881 (here
fig. 8).
1420, pair o f discs. Diam: 2.3 cm. Campanari collection,
1872.
1421, single disc. Diam: 2.2 cm. Castellani collection,
1872.
1422-1423, pair o f discs. Diam: 2.3 cm.
unknown.
Provenance
1424-1425, pair o f discs. Diam: 2.8 cm. Castellani collec
tion, 1872 (here fig. 7).
1426, single disc. Diam: 2.8 cm. Provenance unknown.
[Ε H . Marshall, Catalogue of the Jewellery, Greek, Etruscan,
and Roman, in the Departments of Antiquities, British Museum
(Oxford, 1969), pp. 136-140]
3. London, Private collection
the discs i n set A i n the G e t t y M u s e u m and the related
Two pairs o f discs. Diam: 3.6 cm and 4.3 cm.
pieces i n the L o u v r e m a y represent the w o r k o f one
Single disc. Diam: 3.6 cm. Said to be from Caere.
g o l d s m i t h or ancient w o r k s h o p , and the discs i n set Β
[Unpublished]
and t h e i r c o m p a n i o n s i n N e w Y o r k and L o n d o n m a y
represent the products o f another. G i v e n the w e a l t h
and trade o f Caere, that ancient c i t y may be c o n s i d
ered a l i k e l y l o c a t i o n for the p r o d u c t i o n o f these
w o r k s . U n t i l further evidence o f j e w e l r y manufacture
is recovered f r o m c o n t r o l l e d excavations i n E t r u r i a ,
France
i . Paris, Musee du Louvre
Bj 43-44, pair o f discs. Diam: 5 cm. Campana collection
(here fig. 2).
Bj 47, single disc. Diam: 4.7 cm. Campana collection.
the study o f pieces o f s i m i l a r decoration and technique
Bj 50, single disc. Diam: 2 cm. Campana collection.
is the first step i n b e g i n n i n g to t r y to i d e n t i f y certain
[E. Coche de la Ferte, Les Bijoux antiques (Paris, 1956),
p. 120, pis. x x x i v - x x x v ]
ancient g o l d w o r k s h o p s and their locations.
P r i n c e t o n , N.J.
Germany
1. Berlin, Staatliche
Antikenabteilung
CATALOGUE
The following is a list o f published Etruscan gold disc ear
ornaments from the sixth-fifth century B.C. located in
major collections in the United States and Europe.
Museen
Preußischer Kulturbesitz,
G l 413-414 (Mise. 3025-3026), pair o f discs.
4.6 cm. Found i n Cettone near Chiusi.
Diam:
GI 415 (Misc. 6479), single disc. Diam: 4.6 cm. From
Orvieto.
England
Inv. 30219, 449, single disc. Diam: 3.4 cm. F. L. von Gans
collection.
ι. Liverpool, Public Museum
10308, pair o f discs. Diam: 2.5 cm. Ex-Mayer collection.
Inv. 30219, 45oa-b, pair o f discs. Diam: 2.9 cm. Ferroni
collection, Rome; later F. L. von Gans collection.
[ M . A . Johnstone, "The Etruscan Collection i n the Pub
lic Museum o f Liverpool," StEtr 6 (1932), p. 447]
[A. Greifenhagen, Schmuckarbeiten in Edelmetall (Berlin,
2. London, British Museum
1970), pp. 91-92]
2. Munich, Staatliche Antikensammlungen und Glyptothek
1414, single disc. Diam: 3.4 cm. Said to be from Magna
Graecia. Burgon collection, 1842.
Inv. 2477-2478, pair o f discs. Diam: 6 cm. From the
Candelori collection, Vulci.
1415, single disc. Diam: 3.8 cm. Blacas collection, 1867.
[D. Ohly, Guide to the Munich Antikensammlungen, trans.
H . Hughes-Brock (Munich, n.d.), pi. 62]
1416, single disc. Diam: 6.1 cm. Provenance unknown
(here fig. 5).
Italy
1417, single disc. Diam: 2.1 cm. Provenance unknown.
ι. Rome, Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia
1418, single disc. Diam: 1.9 cm. Castellani collection,
1872.
46, single disc. Diam: 2.8 cm. From Caere.
47, single disc. Diam: 2 cm. From Caere.
Etruscan
[ M . Pallotino, II Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia
(Rome, 1985), pp. 338-339]
2. Vatican, Museo Gregoriano Etrusco
13348, single disc. Diam: 2.1 cm. Falcioni collection.
I
I
3547~ 355°> P
a i r
o f discs. Diam: 2.5 cm. From Vulci.
13554, single disc. Diam: 2.2 cm. From Vulci.
!3557> single disc. Diam: 1.5 cm. Provenance unknown.
13571-13572, pair o f discs. Diam: 3.9 cm. Falcioni collec
tion, from Bomarzo.
!3573> single disc. Diam: 2.0 cm. Falcioni collection.
[ M . Scarpignato, Oreficerie Etrusche arcaiche (Rome, 1985),
pp. 50-54]
United States
1. Chicago, Field Museum o f Natural History
Acc. no. 2262, cat. no. 239153.1-2, pair o f discs. Diam:
3.5 cm. Provenance unknown.
[T. Hackens and R. Winkes, eds., Gold Jewelry (Louvainla-Neuve, 1983), pp. 101-103]
2. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum
8 3 . A M . 2 . i , pair o f discs. Diam: 4.7 cm. Said to be from
Caere (here fig. 1).
8 3 . A M . 2 . 2 , pair o f discs. Diam: 4.2 cm. Said to be from
8 3 . A M . 2 . 3 , pair o f discs. Diam: 3.2 cm. Said to be from
[P. Taimsalu, "Etruscan Gold Jewelry," Aurum 4 (1980),
pp. 37-41]
3. N e w York, The Metropolitan Museum o f Art
40.11.9, pair o f discs. Diam: 6.1 cm. From Vulci.
13.225.30.A-B, pair o f discs. Diam: 4.3 cm. Provenance
unknown (here fig. 4).
3.
[G. M . A . Richter, Handbook of the Etruscan Collection
(New York, 1940), pp. 32-34]
NOTES
Abbreviation:
Marshall
F. H. Marshall, Catalogue of the Jewellery, Greek, Etrus
can, and Roman, in the Departments of Antiquities, British
Museum (Oxford, 1969).
1. This article was completed during my internship in the
Department of Antiquities at the J. Paul Getty Museum in
1987-1988. I am grateful to my supervisor, Dr. Marion True,
for her guidance and for permission to publish these pieces. I
would also like to thank the other members of the depart
ment, Ken Hamma, Marit Jentoft-Nilsen, Karen Manchester,
Dorothy Osaki, and Karol Wight, for their help and
encouragement.
2. Scientists continue to investigate each of these processes, as
the Etruscans' precise technique of manufacturing the granules
and wire remains an issue of debate. Several theories have been
proposed for the production of gold granules and wire in
4.
5.
6.
7.
Disc Ear Ornaments
n
antiquity as well as for the process of attaching them to metal
surfaces. Granules of several sizes may be produced by drop
ping a small amount of molten metal onto a flat surface from a
distance of a few feet. To produce granules of a uniform size,
small pieces of gold may be set between layers of ash in a
crucible and then heated. For detailed explanations of these
processes, see H. Hoffmann and P. F. Davidson, Greek Gold:
Jewelry from the Age of Alexander, exh. cat., Museum of Fine
Arts, Boston, and other institutions, November 1965-May
1966 (Mainz, 1966), p. 48, and D. L. Carroll, "A Classification
for Granulation in Ancient Metalwork," AJA 78 (1974), p. 34.
To attach the granules to a metal surface, one of several
methods may have been used. In a process called sintering, the
granules would have been set in place with an organic glue or
flux. The object would then have been heated only until the
glue volatized and the surface "melting point" was attained.
At this point, the surface of both the metal and the granule
would have melted enough to join the two together (see Car
roll, p. 36). Another joining method, called colloidal hardsoldering, was patented in 1933 by H. A. P. Littledale, an
English craftsman. Knowing that copper lowers the melting
point of gold, he set the gold granules in place with a glue
containing copper salts. When the object was heated, the cop
per salt formed copper oxide, and the glue burned off, attach
ing the granules to the surface of the sheet with relatively little
flux remaining (see Hoffmann and Davidson, pp. 45-46).
The production of wire in antiquity is a more controversial
subject. Hoffmann and Davidson state that before the
Hellenistic period, wire was made in one of two ways: by
twisting a ribbon of gold foil or by hammering and rolling a
strip of gold sheet until it was round (see fig. 2 in Hoffmann's
article in this volume). They state that drawn wire—wire
made by pulling strips of gold through a series of gradually
smaller holes in a steel drawplate—does not appear until after
the Hellenistic period (Hoffmann and Davidson, pp. 36-41).
Carroll, however, claims that drawn wire was used in the
Early Dynastic period in Egypt and was a legitimate method
for producing wire in Greek and Roman times ("Drawn Wire
and the Identification of Forgeries in Ancient Jewelry," AJA 74
[1970], p. 401. See also eadem, "Wire Drawing in Antiquity,"
AJA 76 [1972], pp. 321-323). For further information on
ancient gold metallurgy, see J. Ogden, Jewellery of the Ancient
World (New York, 1982), pp. 52-89.
The disc apparently continued as a fashionable piece of jewelry
into the fourth century, for one appears on the figure of
Ramtha Visnai on the lid of an Etruscan sarcophagus of about
370-360 B . C . , now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. See
C. C. Vermeule, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Art: The Classical
Collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Boston, 1963),
p. 192, ill. p. 203; M . Sprenger and G. Bartoloni, The Etrus
cans: Their History, Art, and Architecture, trans. R. E. Wolf
(New York, 1983), fig. 208.
Getty Museum 83. A M . 2.1-3. For a list of similar works in other
collections, please refer to the catalogue at the end of the text.
I would like to thank Dr. Herbert Hoffmann for his explana
tion of this assembly process during a technical examination
of the discs at the Getty Museum in March 1988.
Louvre Bj 43-44. A. de Ridder, Catalogue sommaire des bijoux
antiques (Paris, 1924), p. 5, pi. xm. I would like to thank the
Department of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities of
the Musee du Louvre for allowing me to include these pieces
in this article.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art 13.225.309.Α-B. I am
grateful to Dr. Joan Mertens of the Department of Greek and
Roman Art for allowing me to examine these pieces in April
1988 and for permission to include them here. For the disc in
Burkhalter
12
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
the British Museum (GR 1980.2-1.42), see Marshall, pp. 137138, no. 1416, pi. xx. I would also like to thank Dr. Dyfri
Williams of the Department of Greek and Roman Art in the
British Museum for his assistance and for permission to
include this piece along with several others from the collection
of the British Museum in this article.
At the time of this writing, the Department of Antiquities
Conservation at the Getty Museum is investigating the nature
of the incrustation on the backs of these discs.
British Museum GR 1872.6-4.743-744, Marshall no. 1424. See
also Marshall, p. 137, no. 1424, pi. xx.
British Museum GR 1881.5-28.2. See also Marshall, pp. 138—
139, no. 1419, pi. xxi.
Bernard van den Driessche states the problems involved in
identifying the functions of these discs: "Le probleme est de
savoir s'il s'agit de boutons, de fibules rondes, de boucles
d'oreilles, d'ornements de diademes, d'ornements de tempe ou
d'une autre partie de la parure feminine. Certains de ces objets
ont ete trouves par paire, d'autres non. De plus, aucune boucle
d'oreille de cette forme ne semble jamais avoir ete trouvee
veritablement in situ pres de la tete" ("Une Forme grecque de
boucles d'oreilles portees par les korai de TAcropole," Revue des
archeologues et historiens d'art de Louvain 4 [1971], p. 82). Mar
shall (p. 137, fig. 5) mentions the possibility that these orna
ments served as fibulae, but he states that the tube projecting
from the back would not be sturdy enough to support
clothing. Etienne Coche de la Ferte suggests that the discs
were perhaps used as diadem ornaments (E. Coche de la Ferte,
Les Bijoux antiques [Paris, 1984], p. 37). See also M . Cristofani
and M . Martelli et al., L'Or des etrusques, trans. Ch. Guittard
(Paris, 1985), p. 54·
For Tarquinian tomb-paintings illustrating a woman wearing a
disc at the ear, see M . Moretti, Pittura Etrusca in Tarquinia
(Milan, 1974), figs. 19, 26-28, 45. See also Marshall, p. 137.
For architectural antefixes depicting figures with discs at the
ear, see A. Andren, Architectural Terracottas from Etrusco-Italic
Temples (Leipzig, 1940), pp. 6-7, 21-22, 32-37, 499-500, and
pis. 2, 6, 9, 11, 155.
Two discs in the British Museum bear a small loop on the
back surface between the tube in the center and the edge;
Marshall suggests (pp. 138-139, nos. 416, 419) that this secured
a chain that held the pin used to secure the disc in place.
Numerous representations of ear caps exist in Cypriot sculp
ture, and they appear occasionally in East Greek painting, as
well as on coins from this area. The caps appear to have been
heavily decorated with jewellike attachments; it is uncertain
whether they were made of cloth or metal. J. M . Hemelrijk,
"Some Ear Ornaments in Archaic Cypriot and East Greek
Art," BABesch 38 (1963), pp. 34-37, figs. 22-25, and 44. For
more on ear caps in Cypriot sculpture, see E. Gjerstad et al.,
The Swedish Cyprus Expedition: ig2y-igji, vol. 3 (Stockholm,
1937), esp. pis. X L I X . 2 , L i n . 3, L X X I V .
Van den Driessche (above, note 11), p. 73, and Cristofani and
Martelli (above, note 11), p. 54.
C. Aldred, Jewels of the Pharaohs (New York, 1974), p. 143. A
beautiful example of an ear stud decorated with filigree and
granulation is in the collection of the Royal Scottish Museum,
Edinburgh: J. Anderson Black, The Story of Jewelry (New
York, 1974), p. 26.
For a discussion of the connections between Egypt and the
Near East, see B. Segall, "Some Sources of Early Greek
Jewelry," BMFA 41 (1943), P- 43·
S. Karouzou, National Museum: Illustrated Guide to the Museum
(Athens, 1984), p. 123, no. 4382. The circles on the figure's ears
appear to represent discs, yet they could illustrate pendant
earrings, for it is uncertain whether the line beneath the right
ear represents hair or part of an attached pendant. The area
beneath the lobe on the left ear is not preserved.
19. O f the kore figures recovered from the Athenian akropolis, ten
wear discs at the ear (Athens, Akropolis Museum nos. 616,
648, 660, 661, 670, 672, 674, 675, 680, 682); five have pierced
earlobes for metal attachments (Athens, Akropolis Museum
nos. 669, 671, 678, 679, 681); ten have no preserved ear features
(Athens, Akropolis Museum nos. 136, 465, 475, 510, 594, 598,
613, 615, 643 + 307, 696 + 493 and other fragments associated
with this piece); two have no indication of an ornament at the
ear (Athens, Akropolis Museum no. 683, and Athens, National
Museum inv. 6491); and one wears a spiral ear ornament
(Athens, Akropolis Museum no. 673). For more information
on these works, see G. M . A. Richter, Korai: Archaic Greek
Maidens (New York, 1968), pp. 68-84, figs. 328-438.
20. "La repartition, qui touche Cerveteri et Vulci, ainsi que l'Etrurie Interieure, de Bomarzo ä Orvieto, jusqu'ä Cetona et, peutetre, la Grande-Grece, indiquerait des ateliers d'Etrurie meridionale" (Cristofani and Martelli [above, note 11] p. 54). "The
chief workshops must have been situated in the commercial
cities which were generally near the sea; they not only
acquired economic and political importance but also became
genuine culture centers. As far as jewellery is concerned Vetulonia in northern Etruria and Caere (Cerveteri) in the south
were probably the chief centers of manufacture" (F. Coarelli,
Greek and Roman Jewellery, trans. D. Strong [Milan, 1966],
pp. 26-27). See also the catalogue at the end of the text for the
discs and some of their provenances.
21. "But the overwhelming majority of the excavated tombs and
their contents belong to the seventh and sixth centuries B . C .
During this period, Caere must have been an exceptionally
rich and populous city, perhaps one of the most splendid in the
world then known" (M. Pallotino, The Etruscans, trans.
J. Cremona, rev. and enl. edn. [Bloomington, 1975], p. 111).
22. "Caere owed its wealth and its commercial and artistic devel
opment to its ownership of this ore-rich area, for then as well
as now metals were what made people rich and were also the
most widespread article of barter" (L. Banti, Etruscan Cities
and Their Culture, trans. E. Bizzarri [Los Angeles, 1973], p. 39).
23.
The most manifest sign of this Caeretan dominance in
Latium is the extreme similarity between the jewellery and
bucchero pottery in the wealthy seventh-century tombs of
Caere and objects of the same date in graves at Praeneste
(Palestrina) in Latium. Indeed, the two sets of finds are
indistinguishable. It is true that this can be partly explained
by the exposure of the two cities to the same influences,
emanating, in both cases, from Pithecusae and Cumae in
Greek Campania (where many of these luxury goods were
made for export to Etruria and Latium). But the sim
ilarities are too striking for this explanation to be
altogether sufficient. Caere and Caeretan immigrants to
Praeneste must, presumably, have acted as guides and
intermediaries.
(M. Grant, The Etruscans [New York, 1980], p. 157)
24. Grant (above, note 23), pp. 147, 155.
25. Banti (above, note 22), p. 41.
26. Μ. F. Briguet, "Petite tete feminine etrusque," RLouvre 24
(1974), p- 250.
27. M . Pallottino et al., // Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia
(Rome, 1988), pp. 338-339·
28. Frangoise Gaultier, Conservateur in the Department of Greek,
Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities of the Musee du Louvre,
kindly provided this information about the discs in the Louvre
in a letter of August 11, 1988.
13
Images o f Piety and Hope: Select Terracotta Votives
from West-Central Italy
STEPHEN
SMITHERS
I n antiquity, the cult o f a m o t h e r goddess and d i v i n e
kourotrophic
sanctuaries o f E t r u r i a and L a t i u m .
4
Her
the
w o r k suggests that the accepted f u n c t i o n o f other
Mediterranean, f r o m Asia M i n o r to Sicily and f r o m
v o t i v e types c o m m o n to these sanctuaries should be
southern
examined.
nurse (or kourotrophos)
was prevalent t h r o u g h o u t
Russia to N o r t h Africa.
The
kourotrophos
directly intervened i n the affairs o f m e n , her d o m a i n
T h i s study w i l l discuss the problems and h i s t o r y
embracing all aspects o f life and death. F r o m early i n
associated w i t h Italian v o t i v e practice and then c o n
the Archaic period, images o f kourotrophoi
frequently
centrate o n a g r o u p o f ten v o t i v e heads, a bust, and a
appeared i n the art o f central and Southern I t a l y These
bambino i n the G e t t y M u s e u m collections. A n Etruscan
depictions c o m m o n l y t o o k the f o r m o f a seated female
truncated figure w i t h an opened a b d o m i n a l cavity w i l l
1
h o l d i n g a swaddled
child.
2
Diana,
Mater
Matuta,
be used to illustrate the healing nature o f the sanctu
M i n e r v a , Persephone, Turan, and U n i are some o f the
aries i n w h i c h these v o t i v e terracottas are f o u n d . A l l
goddesses w o r s h i p p e d as kourotrophoi i n Italy.
these votives were acquired by the M u s e u m between
Terracotta v o t i v e statues, statuettes, heads, busts,
infants, and anatomical parts were c o m m o n
dedica
1971 and 1980, and all lack provenance, b u t they w i l l
be compared to examples i n European and A m e r i c a n
at her sanctuaries i n E t r u r i a ,
collections f r o m k n o w n contexts. T h i s w i l l a l l o w the
L a t i u m , and Campania. Examples are scattered w o r l d
G e t t y material to be dated and i d e n t i f i e d w i t h p a r t i c u
tions to a kourotrophos
w i d e i n museums and private collections.
exhibitions, books,
3
Recent
and articles have attempted
to
lar m o l d series h a v i n g k n o w n provenances. T h e v o t i v e
heads w i l l be discussed first and w i l l be d i v i d e d i n t o
b r i n g order to the vast corpus o f Italic material. I n
two
1985 Italy celebrated the "Year o f the Etruscans" w i t h
arrangement o f the v o t i v e heads w i t h i n these t w o
a series o f exhibitions and catalogues dealing
regional classifications
Etruscan
art
and
civilization.
A
1988
with
exhibition
b r o a d categories: Etruscan and Campanian.
The
w i l l be chronological rather
than by prospective coroplastic center. T h e v o t i v e bust
m o u n t e d by the Staatliche M u s e e n i n B e r l i n i n c l u d e d
and bambino w i l l be handled separately. A r t i s t i c trends
a w e l l - i l l u s t r a t e d catalogue o f Etruscan material pre
prevalent
v i o u s l y u n k n o w n to m a n y Western scholars. A n n a -
c o n t e m p o r a r y w i t h the appearance o f the votives w i l l
maria Cornelia has charted the diffusion o f v o t i v e
be considered to aid the understanding o f their devel
statues, heads, statuettes, small bronzes, and
o p m e n t i n the art o f central Italy and to assist the
body
i n the Mediterranean
area preceding
and
parts, and M a r i a Fenelli has studied the q u a n t i t y and
d a t i n g o f the pieces. C u l t practices and
d i s t r i b u t i o n o f various anatomical votives at different
beliefs i n the cultures t r a d i n g w i t h west-central Italy
sanctuary sites. B o t h o f these studies have c o n t r i b u t e d
also w i l l be e x a m i n e d to p r o v i d e a key to the i n t e r
greatly
p r e t a t i o n o f these Italian dedications.
to
our
understanding
o f the
diffusion o f
kourotrophic votives and the detection o f possible m e d
religious
Terracotta votives are m o l d made and mass p r o
ical specialization at certain centers. H e l e n N a g y has
duced. Consequently,
published the extensive collection o f Caeretan v o t i v e
be considered.
methods o f manufacture
must
N o r m a l l y a p a t r i x was made i n clay
terracottas i n the L o w i e M u s e u m o f A n t h r o p o l o g y i n
and baked. T h e n clay molds were taken, fired,
Berkeley. A recent study o f v o t i v e couples b y Β r i t t
used to produce terracottas for the central Italian m a r
M a r i e F r i d h - H a n e s o n has offered a n e w i n t e r p r e t a t i o n
ket. M o l d s derived f r o m the p a t r i x and the resulting
of
offerings
the
function
o f these
dedications
within
the
created f r o m
t h e m are considered
and
"first-
14
Smithers
generation" votives. These first-generation m o l d s and
eled f r o m one site t o the next u n t i l circa 500 B . C . , after
votives are usually p r o d u c e d by the o r i g i n a l w o r k s h o p
w h i c h m o s t centers had t h e i r o w n coroplastic artists.
7
or the same person w h o created the p a t r i x and are i n
T h e c o n t i n u e d travel o f votives f r o m site to site c o m
the clay b o d y used b y that w o r k s h o p . Second and suc
plicates the i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f the o r i g i n a l provenance o f
cessive generations o f the same m o l d series are the
these pieces and places a heavy reliance o n the study o f
result o f m o l d s p r o d u c e d f r o m a p a t r i x other than the
the clay fabric for assigning t h e m t o a provenance.
o r i g i n a l one. U s u a l l y the source is an e x i s t i n g m o l d -
T h e atmosphere o f the k i l n affects the color o f the clay
made piece i n w h i c h the paint and slip have been
b o d y T h u s , an i n f i n i t e n u m b e r o f gradations i n shade
cleaned o f f t o a l l o w the manufacture o f another m o l d .
are possible. Despite these variations i n the color o f
Each successive generation after the p a t r i x has a p r o
the clay fabric, the degree o f fineness,
amount o f
gressive loss o f size due to clay shrinkage. T h e genera
mica, and presence o f other inclusions (i.e., shells,
tions together f o r m
pebbles, w h i t e particles) r e m a i n m o r e or less constant
a series, and all b u t the
first
generation c o u l d be derived f r o m any w o r k s h o p or
at a given center and can be d i s t i n g u i s h e d by the study
clay fabric. Trade i n terracotta votives along later
o f a large n u m b e r o f terracottas f r o m a k n o w n
R o m a n roads also extend the distance a series m i g h t
spot. Details o f manufacture
find
(i.e., the presence or
travel f r o m the coroplastic center that p r o d u c e d the
absence o f a finer clay surface, the f o r m and p o s i t i o n
o r i g i n a l p a t r i x . O n occasion, a series that begins at an
o f the vent, the relative w e i g h t , or art marks) can also
Etruscan center w i l l even be adopted by a L a t i a n or
d i s t i n g u i s h the products o f a particular center.
C a m p a n i a n w o r k s h o p and vice versa. T h i s makes i t
details need to be considered i n studies and p u b l i c a
d i f f i c u l t t o i d e n t i f y the o r i g i n a l site that p r o d u c e d the
tions o f this v o t i v e material, b u t o n l y future clay anal
p a t r i x and stresses the i m p o r t a n c e o f i d e n t i f y i n g the
first g e n e r a t i o n .
5
8
Such
yses o f terracottas f r o m k n o w n sites w i l l p r o v i d e any
positive placement for pieces l a c k i n g provenance.
Problems become evident w h e n one begins t o
9
Terracotta male and female v o t i v e heads appear
examine m o l d - m a d e material. C e r t a i n details often
t o w a r d the end o f the s i x t h century B . C . and comprise
are n o t indicated o n the p a t r i x or appear as blanks.
the largest category o f central Italian offerings n o w i n
These details i n c l u d e hair treatment, eyebrows, eye
A m e r i c a n collections. Votive busts are less c o m m o n
outlines, exact outer edges o f the lips, and details o f
and generally date after the b e g i n n i n g o f the f o u r t h
the ears. T h e y are often incised i n t o the m o l d after i t is
century. Terracotta infants, or bambini in fasce, appear
produced f r o m the p a t r i x , and the major surfaces o f
d u r i n g the last quarter o f the f o u r t h c e n t u r y A n a t o m
the m o l d are p r o b a b l y b u r n i s h e d p r i o r t o its
firing.
ical votives representing b o d y parts are i n t r o d u c e d t o
Since m a n y m o l d s can be made f r o m the same p a t r i x ,
the sanctuaries o f the kourotrophos at the same t i m e as
these m o l d s m a y v a r y i n some o f t h e i r details, result
the bambini. Occasionally v o t i v e deposits w i l l i n c l u d e
ing
naturalistically rendered
i n parallel molds. Details i n the m o l d s weaken
standing male and
female
w i t h use, and sometimes a d d i t i o n a l c u t t i n g (to rectify
nudes, c o m p l e x representations o f the i n t e r n a l organs
this p r o b l e m ) can create parallel m o l d s i n later genera
o f the h u m a n body, and truncated figures i n w h i c h the
tions o f the series. Sometimes the extensive r e w o r k i n g
a b d o m i n a l cavity has been opened to reveal the internal
o f a later-generation m o l d obscures the qualities o f the
organs (fig. 1). These last examples suggest the prac
o r i g i n a l series and results i n a scholar assigning i t to
tice o f medicine w i t h i n the kourotrophic sanctuaries and
its o w n m o l d series or another group. O t h e r details
concerns for the transmission o f medical k n o w l e d g e
and attachments such as j e w e l r y can be added t o the
f r o m one generation o f priest-physicians t o the next.
pieces after t h e i r r e m o v a l f r o m the m o l d b u t p r i o r t o
Drastic p o l i t i c a l changes occurred i n Italy and
f i r i n g , thus creating i n d i v i d u a l i z e d characteristics. O n
the
occasion, a m o l d used for a head series can cross
H e l l e n i s t i c periods. Defeats at H i m e r a and
t y p o l o g i c a l boundaries and be used for standing or
d u r i n g the fifth c e n t u r y weakened the Etruscans and
Mediterranean
d u r i n g the
Late
Classical
and
Cumae
seated figures or even bambini. Consequently, there is
led t o a
n o w a y o f k n o w i n g the l e n g t h o f t i m e over w h i c h a
Taras became a p r o m i n e n t p o w e r i n Southern Italy
m o l d series extends or the n u m b e r o f generations the
d u r i n g the second h a l f o f the fifth century, and M a g n a
series m i g h t contain. O n l y
Graecia effectively f o r m e d a barrier between E t r u r i a
w h e n the votives
are
f o u n d i n a context w i t h other, m o r e securely datable
material can they be dated w i t h any confidence.
6
M o l d s f r o m the major Italian centers often trav
flourishing
o f the cities o f M a g n a Graecia.
and m a i n l a n d Greece. T h e central Italian p o l i t i c a l sit
u a t i o n became one o f c o n t i n u a l w a r w i t h the Greeks.
T h i s , c o m b i n e d w i t h the e m a n c i p a t i o n o f Italic peo-
Images of Piety and Hope
F I G U R E
15
I
Etruscan truncated figure with opened abdominal cavity. Height:
20.8 cm. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum 73.AD.83.
pies, R o m a n aggression, and the Gaulic invasion, had
C a r s o l i i n 291 B . C . I n 310 B . C . Rome's a r m y suc
a negative i m p a c t o n overseas trade w i t h
cessfully m o v e d i n t o central and n o r t h e r n E t r u r i a .
centers.
Etruscan
10
11
T h e central Etruscan t o w n s succumbed to R o m e i n
R o m e began its rise to p r o m i n e n c e after the c o n
the first h a l f o f the t h i r d century, and R o m e became
12
quest o f V e i i i n 393/392 B . C . and became the master o f
the c u l t u r a l leader o f central I t a l y .
southern E t r u r i a and L a t i u m b y the second h a l f o f the
o f roads s i m i l a r t o the V i a A p p i a i n 312 B . C . accom
f o u r t h century. R o m e defeated the Latian t o w n s o f
panied the extension o f R o m a n influence and i n s t i t u
central
tions. T h i s d e v e l o p i n g n e t w o r k o f roads facilitated the
Italy,
including
Ariccia
and
her
allies, i n
338 B . C . and then extended citizenship t o the c o n
The construction
spread o f n e w ideas and practices to and f r o m R o m e .
13
quered peoples. L a t i n colonies were established at Fre-
T h e a d o p t i o n o f anatomical votives f r o m Greek
gellae i n 328, Lucera i n 314, A l b a Fucens i n 303, and
religious practice and an increase i n the p r o d u c t i o n o f
16
Smithers
lacking.
Late Archaic heads depend
directly upon
models f r o m A t t i c a and are represented by examples
in
the
A r t I n s t i t u t e o f Chicago
(fig. 2) and
the
M u s e u m o f A r t and A r c h a e o l o g y at the U n i v e r s i t y o f
M i s s o u r i - C o l u m b i a (inv. 78.27). A t t i c influences o n
Classical Etruscan style are received i n d i r e c t l y t h r o u g h
contacts w i t h Southern Italy and Sicily. These second
hand influences t h e n b l e n d w i t h elements retained
f r o m the Late Archaic. B y the end o f the f i f t h c e n t u r y
B . C . v o t i v e heads f o u n d at Veii and other sites s h o w a
distinct influence f r o m the Greek Severe S t y l e .
16
Late
Classical and H e l l e n i s t i c Italic heads c o n t i n u e styles
adopted f r o m Greece d u r i n g the fifth c e n t u r y and are
influenced by Late Classical and H e l l e n i s t i c Greek
models
received
through
continued
contacts
with
M a g n a Graecia and Sicily. M a n y o f the heads f r o m
these later periods b e l o n g to large series or related
series represented b y m o r e than one example i n this
country
A
b l e n d i n g o f Late A r c h a i c stylistic elements
w i t h those o f the Classical p e r i o d is evident i n a
bearded Etruscan v o t i v e head i n the G e t t y M u s e u m
(fig. 3). T h e head is veiled. T h e left side o f the neck
and the v e i l b e l o w the level o f the beard are missing.
FIGURE
2
T h e A r c h a i c hairstyle is rendered i n t w o rows o f locks
Late Archaic Etruscan female head. Height: 26.5 cm. The Art
Institute of Chicago C41100. Photo courtesy The Art Institute of
Chicago.
t e r m i n a t i n g i n t i g h t curls t u r n i n g i n w a r d and o u t w a r d
f r o m the center o f the head. T h e mustache and beard
are handled i n a s i m i l a r fashion. T h e d e l i n e a t i o n o f
the b r o w and nose are somewhat softened. T h e eyes
terracotta heads at west-central Italic sanctuaries c o i n
are framed by lids handled i n relief, and the lips are
cided w i t h the rise o f R o m e d u r i n g this
unstable
parted; the ears are n o t indicated. T h e clay b o d y is
p e r i o d . Trade relations between central Italy and C o r
p i n k - o r a n g e and contains m i c a and stone inclusions.
i n t h p r o b a b l y influenced the appearance o f anatomical
A b e i g e - p i n k slip covers the entire head. Traces o f a
votives w i t h i n the kourotrophic sanctuaries o f E t r u r i a ,
w h i t e preparatory coat are preserved i n the flesh areas.
14
Remnants o f a rose flesh color appear o n the forehead
L a t i u m , and C a m p a n i a d u r i n g the f o u r t h
century.
Since terracotta heads o f this t i m e are f o u n d w i t h ana
above the b r i d g e o f the nose, o n the r i g h t n o s t r i l , and
t o m i c a l votives, i t is generally believed that they, too,
above the outside corner o f the left eye b e l o w the
commemorate
c u r l i n g bangs.
successful
cures. H o w e v e r ,
v o t i v e heads rarely e x h i b i t physical
Instead,
male
they p o r t r a y c o n t e m p o r a r y
and
female
tempered
abnormalities.
Italic ideals o f
u n p u b l i s h e d bearded
head f r o m the same
religious
t i o n i n the M u s e o A r c h e o l o g i c o i n Siena (inv. 37846).
T h i s head, along w i t h others i n the same c o l l e c t i o n , is
d e f o r m i t y are rarely represented, despite the p o p u
a t t r i b u t e d to the ancient Etruscan c i t y o f Caere.
l a r i t y o f such subjects
s i m i l a r h a n d l i n g o f the beard and lips appears o n a
i n other
koine.
by
An
m o l d series and generation is part o f the C h i g i collec
d e c o r u m and Greek artistic trends. Age, illness, and
Classical/Hellenistic
beauty
Etruscan
areas o f the
Late
15
17
A
silenus-head antefix fragment f r o m the temple at Sassi
I t is c o m m o n l y accepted that Greek p r o t o t y p e s
C a d u t i , near Falerii, dated circa 480 B . C . O t h e r related
influenced the art o f E t r u r i a , L a t i u m , and Campania.
silenus-head antefixes have been f o u n d o n the Piano d i
For that reason, the terracotta sculpture o f these areas
C i v i t ä , Tarquinia, and at O r v i e t o . A later and m o r e
is often stylistically dated by c o m p a r i s o n t o Greek
h u m a n version o f this bearded silenus t y p e i n w h i c h
w o r k s w h e n associated material w i t h a secure c h r o
the t i g h t c u r l o f the beard is relaxed is f o u n d i n the
n o l o g y (such as coins, vases, and terracotta lamps) is
antefixes f r o m Caere's p o r t , P y r g i . A n t o n i a R a l l o has
17
back over the ears and cropped at mid-ear l e n g t h
behind.
19
A b o v e the waves is a c y l i n d r i c a l polos or hat
that opens i n the center to reveal a pattern o f crossing
hair locks scratched l i g h t l y i n t o the clay.
b o d y is red-orange
20
T h e clay
and includes pieces o f mica o f
v a r y i n g sizes. N o p i g m e n t or slip is preserved o n the
surface o f the piece.
T h e G e t t y terracotta is comparable to Vagnetti's
Veian m o l d series A x x i i i n b o t h height and h a n d l i n g .
T h i s series is k n o w n i n five variants f o u n d i n the
C a m p e t t i area at Veii. O n e example o f this series was
uncovered i n the excavations o f the Portonaccio, and
another
example
from
southern
E t r u r i a is i n
the
Archaeological M u s e u m at Grosseto. Vagnetti's v a r i
ant "a" (fig. 5) wears a Stephane that encircles the head
i n a w a y s i m i l a r to the polos w o r n by the G e t t y v o t i v e .
Variants " b " t h r o u g h "e" replace the Stephane w i t h a
d i a d e m that terminates j u s t b e h i n d the ears. Each o f
these variants shows a different h a n d l i n g o f the hair
locks incised i n t o the c r o w n o f the head.
21
T h e face o f the G e t t y head is o b l o n g , b u t w i t h
b r o a d contours. T h e eyes are large and the p u p i l and
22
iris o f each is indicated b y i n c i s i o n . T h e lids are r e n
dered i n relief, and the upper l i d clearly overlaps the
l o w e r at the outer corner o f the eye. T h e m o u t h is
small and f u l l . U n l i k e the examples published by V a -
FIGURE 3
Bearded Etruscan male head. Height: 27.9 cm. Malibu,
J. Paul Getty Museum 75.AD.99.
g n e t t i , the ears o f the G e t t y v o t i v e are crudely m o d
eled and set far t o o l o w o n the sides o f the head. T h e
44
disk earrings clearly indicated i n Vagnetti's variant a"
are lost i n l u m p s o f clay, suggesting the earlobes o f the
G e t t y piece. T h i s error i n h a n d l i n g i m p l i e s that the
dated these antefixes t o the second quarter and the
ears were added by a less talented coroplast and m a y
m i d d l e o f the f o u r t h century. T h i s latter date c o i n
indicate that the G e t t y head was produced at another
cides w i t h A d r i a n o La Regina s placement o f a v o t i v e
Etruscan center f r o m an i m p o r t e d Veian m o l d .
2 3
head series f r o m L a v i n i u m that utilizes a s i m i l a r style
T h e shape o f the face and the h a n d l i n g o f the
o f beard. A l l o f these examples recall the beard treat
hair recall a marble kore (Athens, A k r o p o l i s M u s e u m
ment
688) and a cinerary statue f r o m Chianciano i n the
of
the
Greek
bronze
"Artemision
Zeus"
(Athens, N a t i o n a l M u s e u m 15161) dated circa 4 6 0 -
M u s e o A r c h e o l o g i c o i n Florence. Richter dates the
450 B . c . A stylistic c o m p a r i s o n o f the hair and facial
kore t o circa 480 B . C . A m i d - f i f t h - c e n t u r y date for the
details o f the G e t t y head w i t h this bronze supports a
cinerary statue is supported by an oinochoe i n the
date w i t h i n the second h a l f o f the f i f t h c e n t u r y for
shape o f a female head and a g o l d p i n ( b o t h dated to
b o t h the G e t t y and the C h i g i terracottas.
A
s l i g h t l y later Etruscan
female
18
the second quarter o f the f i f t h century) f o u n d inside
v o t i v e head
the statue.
24
A c o m p a r i s o n o f the recessed eye cavities
f r o m the Classical p e r i o d (fig. 4) may come f r o m Veii.
and the w e l l - r e n d e r e d overlap o f the eyelids i n the
T h e head is b r o k e n at the base o f the neck and m a y
G e t t y piece w i t h these same details i n the kore and the
have been part o f a bust or complete statue. T h e t i p o f
cinerary statue indicate a d a t i n g w e l l i n t o the second
the nose is also b r o k e n . L i k e a Veian v o t i v e i n C l e v e
h a l f o f the f i f t h c e n t u r y for the G e t t y terracotta. T h i s
land (Cleveland M u s e u m o f A r t 21.414), the hair is
d a t i n g is further c o n f i r m e d by a c o m p a r i s o n o f the
d i v i d e d at the center o f the head and falls i n u n d u l a t
terracotta head w i t h that o f a stone cinerary statue
i n g locks. These locks expand i n n u m b e r f r o m four at
f o u n d near a lake i n the v i c i n i t y o f C h i u s i . T h e same
the t o p t o eight over the temples. T h e hair is swept
h i g h c r o p p i n g o f the hair is seen i n this cinerary statue
18
Smithers
dated 430-400 B . C . b y M a u r o C r i s t o f a n i .
25
Increased Etruscan contacts w i t h M a g n a Graecia
brought
artistic influences
from
Taras n o r t h w a r d .
R o m a n c o n t r o l and southern trade w i t h Naples i n the
f o u r t h c e n t u r y strengthened these contacts. A n E t r u s
can female v o t i v e head (fig. 6) illustrates this c o n t a c t .
26
T h e hair is d i v i d e d at the center o f the head and falls
i n t i g h t , w a v y locks that cover the ears. These locks
increase f r o m t w o at the part t o five over the temples.
A h i g h headdress or hairstyle h e l d i n place b y a net
ted band flares o u t w a r d between the head and the
veil. T h i s headdress also has a distinct vertical part
at the center and is o r n a m e n t e d by applied spheres
o f clay arranged i n a dense and r a n d o m pattern. T h e
facial features are softly
m o d e l e d and recall those
o f a m i d - f o u r t h - c e n t u r y A t t i c head i n the c o l l e c t i o n
o f the St. L o u i s A r t M u s e u m (inv. 57.1941).
lips
are
tightly
closed.
The
thin,
The
bow-shaped
upper l i p projects s l i g h t l y f o r w a r d f r o m the h o r i z o n
tally cut l o w e r l i p . T h e eyes are large and framed by
lids rendered i n relief. T h e b r o w is gently r o u n d e d .
Clay spheres have been applied t o the neck to f o r m a
F I G U R E
4
Etruscan female head with polos. Height: 25.7 cm. Malibu,
J. Paul Getty Museum 80. A D . 142.
necklace. A clay band p r o j e c t i n g o u t w a r d f r o m
the
v e i l and f r a m i n g the l o w e r edge o f the neck forms
a s u p p o r t i n g base for the v o t i v e . T h e clay b o d y is
p i n k - b e i g e and includes particles o f m i c a and stone
o f v a r y i n g sizes. T h e entire head is covered b y a
beige slip.
T h e G e t t y terracotta closely resembles a v o t i v e
head f o u n d at A n a g n i published by A n n a m a r i a C o
rnelia
and M a t i l d e M a z z o l a n i . T h e y share the same
type o f headdress, v e i l contour, and r e n d e r i n g o f the
facial planes. Differences occur o n l y i n the hairstyle
and the applied o r n a m e n t a t i o n
o f the d i a d e m
and
necklace. These m i n o r changes p r o b a b l y represent an
attempt by the coroplast to i n d i v i d u a l i z e the heads
after removal f r o m the m o l d . A n o t h e r v o t i v e head i n
the Vatican (Museo Gregoriano Etrusco 13806) shares
the same type o f headdress, v e i l contour, and a p p r o x i
mate height. T h i s terracotta is a t t r i b u t e d t o Caere and
includes omphalos-style earrings w i t h an arched sec
t i o n b e l o w f r o m w h i c h three chain pendants are sus
pended.
S i m i l a r headdresses appear o n f o u r heads
f r o m Caere ( L o w i e M u s e u m o f A n t h r o p o l o g y 8-2822,
8-2823 [ f i g . 7 ] , 8-2824, and 8-2839), six head frag
ments
from
Lavinium,
and
female-head
antefixes
f r o m C h i u s i and C o l l e d i M o n t e l u c e northeast o f Pe
rugia.
F I G U R E
27
T h e greater size o f the terracotta f r o m A n a g n i
5
(34.0 c m h i g h ) suggests that the m o l d series m a y have
Etruscan female head from Veii, Vagnetti's series Axxii variant
"a." Height: 21.0 cm. Photo courtesy Soprintendenza alle
Antichitä dell'Etruria Meridionale.
o r i g i n a t e d at this H e r n i c a n (later Latian) site and t h e n
spread to other localities. T h e c o m m o n clay body, size,
19
and v e i l c o n t o u r that the G e t t y head (fig. 6) shares
fillet that encircles each head. T h e facial planes are
w i t h the L o w i e examples (fig. 7) indicate that the f o r
softly modeled, and the facial type is broader than that
mer, too, was p r o b a b l y produced at Etruscan Caere.
seen i n the female head, figure 6. T h e eyes are large
by
and framed by eyelids rendered i n r e l i e f T h e left eye
some central Italian female v o t i v e heads may reflect
o f the intact terracotta is smaller than the r i g h t , and
the increased contacts w i t h M a g n a Graecia that b e g i n
b o t h eyes have the iris represented i n r e l i e f and the
i n the second h a l f o f the f i f t h century. A n A t t i c r e d -
p u p i l indicated by a slight depression. T h e left eye o f
figure kalpis (Florence, M u s e o A r c h e o l o g i c o 81948),
the damaged example droops d o w n w a r d at the outside
T h e h i g h and s w e l l i n g headdresses w o r n
attributed t o the Meidias Painter (circa 410 B . C . ) and
corner and the eyes are left blank. T h e nose i n b o t h is
f o u n d at Populonia, includes a female figure w e a r i n g a
straight and i n p r o p o r t i o n to the rest o f the face. T h e
h i g h hairstyle supported b y a netted band s i m i l a r to
lips are m o d e l e d s i m i l a r l y t o those o f figure 6, b u t are
that seen i n the G e t t y v o t i v e head. T h e famous r e l i e f
parted. T h e ears are s u m m a r i l y handled and placed a
f r o m Eleusis (circa 440-430 B . C . ) d e p i c t i n g Demeter,
b i t l o w . A clay band at the l o w e r edge o f the neck
Triptolemos, and K o r e shows D e m e t e r w i t h a t i g h t ,
forms a s u p p o r t i n g base for the intact votive. T h e clay
w a v y hairstyle s i m i l a r t o that seen o n the
Getty
b o d y is p i n k - b e i g e w i t h mica and stone inclusions
votive. Hafner has dated the v o t i v e head i n the Vatican
s i m i l a r to figure 6. T h e surfaces o f b o t h heads are
to circa 400 B . C . based o n comparisons w i t h Southern
covered w i t h a beige slip.
An
Italian heads and Marshall's assignment o f the earring
u n p u b l i s h e d example o f this m o l d
series
type t o circa 420 B . C . Cornelia and La Regina have
(Siena, M u s e o A r c h e o l o g i c o 37834) was uncovered i n
f o l l o w e d Hafner's lead and have assigned the head
the deposits o f the temple o f U n i at Caere. T h e i n c l u
f r o m A n a g n i and the fragments f r o m L a v i n i u m to the
sions i n the clay b o d y and slip are consistent w i t h those
first decades o f the f o u r t h century. N a g y has f o l l o w e d
i n the t w o G e t t y heads. T h e greater sharpness o f the
suit and assigned the Caeretan examples i n the L o w i e
b r o w and other details o f the Siena head suggest that
collection to the late fifth or early f o u r t h century. T h e
it was produced earlier i n the m o l d generation than
Praxitelean h a n d l i n g o f the b r o w i n the G e t t y example
the t w o terracottas i n the G e t t y M u s e u m (figs. 8, 9 ) .
2 9
suggests a date m o r e t o w a r d the end o f the f o u r t h
T h e hairstyle w o r n by the heads o f this m o l d
century. A c o m p a r i s o n o f the h a n d l i n g o f the hair,
series experienced a l o n g p o p u l a r i t y i n Graeco-Roman
headdress, and facial details seen i n the G e t t y head
art and can be seen i n the " A p o l l o M a n t u a " (Naples,
w i t h those o f the female figure i n the Banquet o f L a r t h
M u s e o A r c h e o l o g i c o Nazionale 831) and the Eirene
Velcha fresco f r o m the T o m b o f the Shields, Tarquinia
from
(circa 280 B . C . ) ,
( M u n i c h , Staatliche A n t i k e n s a m m l u n g e n u n d G l y p
supports this later placement
and
a marble g r o u p i n c l u d i n g the c h i l d
Ploutos
indicates that the piece c o u l d date as late as the first
t o t h e k ) , b o t h R o m a n copies o f Classical Greek o r i g i
quarter o f the t h i r d century. Mazzolani's assignment
nals. Female-head
antefixes w i t h the same hairstyle
o f the A n a g n i head to the end o f the f o u r t h or the
have
at
been
found
Pyrgi
i n the
excavations
of
T h e close
Temple A and have been dated by Riis t o circa 4 5 0 -
stylistic correspondence between the G e t t y v o t i v e and
400 B . C . A n t o n i a R o l l o dates these same antefixes
t h i r d c e n t u r y B . C . supports this p l a c e m e n t .
28
the terracotta f r o m A n a g n i indicates that b o t h s h o u l d
375-350 B . C . S i m i l a r antefixes also have been f o u n d at
be s i m i l a r l y dated.
noted
Capua and Teano. Six Capuan female v o t i v e heads
between these t w o heads and the Vatican terracotta
w e a r i n g poloi and the same hairstyle (Capua, M u s e o
T h e similarities already
i m p l y the same d a t i n g for this piece.
T w o Etruscan female heads (figs. 8, 9) are related
C a m p a n o 2187, 2344, 2346, 2348, 2353, and 2355)
have been studied by B o n g h i J o v i n o and dated f r o m
t o the previous head by similarities i n clay b o d y and
450 B . C . t o 200 B . C . A veiled female-head antefix f r o m
the h a n d l i n g o f facial details. O n e is w e l l preserved
Taras also has the same hairstyle and has been s t y l
and intact except for chips i n the nose and v e i l , the
istically dated by Helga Herdejürgen t o the second
other is less clear i n its details and b r o k e n b e l o w the
quarter o f the f o u r t h c e n t u r y .
30
c h i n . B o t h heads are f r o m the same m o l d generation
T h e h a n d l i n g o f the eyes, b r o w , and m o u t h w i t h
and have relatively the same w i d t h and depth. Traces
s l i g h t l y parted lips coincides w i t h that seen i n a veiled
o f w h i t e are preserved o n b o t h cheeks, the r i g h t eye,
male head a t t r i b u t e d t o the v o t i v e deposit o f the T e m
and along the h a i r l i n e o f the r i g h t side o f the damaged
ple o f M i n e r v a M e d i c a i n R o m e ( A n t i q u a r i u m C o m u -
head. T h e hair o f b o t h is d i v i d e d at the center o f the
nale 2581). T h i s male example is the same height as
head, and seven locks o n either side c u r l back over a
the female head i n figure 9 and has been stylistically
20
F I G U R E
Smithers
6
Etruscan female head with high headdress and veil.
Height: 26.5 cm. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum
75.AD.98.
F I G U R E
7
Etruscan female head with high headdress and veil
from Caere. Height: 29.3 cm. Berkeley, University of
California, Robert H. Lowie Museum of Anthropology
8-2823. Photo courtesy Robert H . Lowie Museum of
Anthropology.
F I G U R E
9
Etruscan female head. Height: 19.0 cm. Malibu, J. Paul
Getty Museum 75.AD.101.
F I G U R E
8
Etruscan female head. Height: 24.5 cm. Malibu, J. Paul
Getty Museum 7 5 . A D . 100.
dated to the second h a l f o f the f o u r t h century by
Laura G a t t i L o Guzzo. K e e p i n g i n m i n d Rallo's place
ment
o f the
antefixes
from
Pyrgi,
Herdejürgens
assignment o f the antefix f r o m Taras, and the stylistic
h a n d l i n g shared w i t h the male head f r o m Rome, the
t w o v o t i v e heads i n the G e t t y M u s e u m and the e x a m
ple i n Siena s h o u l d be dated 350-300 B . C . C o m p a r i
sons w i t h a female head represented o n a Syracusan
c o i n dated 317-310 B . C . and a bronze statuette i n the
M u s e o A r c h e o l o g i c o i n Verona (inv. A 4 390) dated
350-325 B . c . show a s i m i l a r h a n d l i n g o f the hair and
facial details s u p p o r t i n g this placement.
31
A n Etruscan male head i n the G e t t y M u s e u m
(fig. 10) is part o f a m o l d series represented by t w o
s i m i l a r examples i n the Kelsey M u s e u m and one i n
the Los Angeles C o u n t y M u s e u m (Kelsey M u s e u m o f
A r c h a e o l o g y 1762 and 1763 [ f i g . 11] and Los Angeles
C o u n t y M u s e u m o f A r t M . 82.77.24). T h i s series is
related to a Veian m o l d series represented by examples
i n the Snite M u s e u m o f A r t at T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f N o t r e
D a m e (inv. 62.10), the Kelsey M u s e u m (inv. 1761,
1764, and 1766), and the U n i v e r s i t y M u s e u m at the
U n i v e r s i t y o f Pennsylvania (inv. M S 5749). T h e o v o i d
head is r o u n d e d at the c h i n . T h e b r o w and the planes
FIGURE
10
Etruscan male head. Height: 24.5 cm. Malibu, J. Paul
o f the nose are softened. T h e eyes are enlarged and the
iris is indicated i n r e l i e f o n the Kelsey head (fig. 11)
and o n the G e t t y head (fig. 10). T h e lips are f u l l w i t h
the upper
l i p bow-shaped.
Crescent-shaped
bangs
project over the forehead and c u r l left and r i g h t f r o m a
central part. H o r i z o n t a l l y c u r l i n g locks f i l l the area
between the bangs and the veil. Three locks cover the
temples and the ears o n either side o f the head. T h e
upper l o c k curls u p w a r d and the t w o l o w e r locks c u r l
d o w n w a r d . T h e neck merges w i t h the v e i l , w h i c h
curves f o r w a r d to a r e l i e f band at the base. T h e clay
b o d y is orange-red and includes particles o f mica and
stone. T h e back is r o u g h and p i t t e d . A slip o f the
same clay covers the entire head and retains
brush-
marks f r o m its application. Traces o f red p i g m e n t are
evident o n the r i g h t side o f the jaw.
T h e Kelsey and G e t t y heads (figs. 10, 11) are
f r o m the same m o l d generation, b u t the b l u r r i n g o f
details f o u n d i n the Kelsey example is the result o f a
w o r n m o l d . T h e Kelsey v o t i v e has been reinforced
w i t h a d d i t i o n a l clay, and i t o r i g i n a l l y f o r m e d part o f a
bust or statue. T h e small size (12.0 c m h i g h ) and
blurred
details
o f Los
Angeles
County
M . 82.77.24 m a r k i t as a late example,
Museum
far removed
f r o m the generation p r o d u c i n g the other three pieces.
32
Kelsey 1762 and 1763 (fig. 11) are a t t r i b u t e d to
Veii. A fragmentary head w i t h o u t a v e i l f o u n d at Veii
FIGURE
11
Etruscan male head from Veii. Height: 24.7 cm. Ann
Arbor, The University of Michigan, Kelsey Museum of
Ancient and Mediaeval Archaeology 1763. Photo cour
tesy Kelsey Museum of Ancient and Mediaeval
Archaeology.
21
22
Smithers
and published by V a g n e t t i supports this a t t r i b u t i o n . A
f u l l - l e n g t h terracotta statue o f u n k n o w n
softened. T h e m o u t h is small and f u l l . T h e lips are
provenance
closed and the c o n t o u r o f the upper is bow-shaped.
i n the M u s e o C i v i c o i n B o l o g n a is also part o f this
T h e upper edge o f the large and s u m m a r i l y m o d e l e d
same series. A n early example o f this head type f o u n d
ears merges w i t h the hair mass. T h i c k c u r l i n g r e l i e f
at Falerii (Rome, V i l l a G i u l i a 7322), b u t n o t f r o m the
locks cascade over the forehead and c o n t i n u e d o w n t o
same m o l d series, has been assigned t o a Veian w o r k
the ears. These locks proceed left and r i g h t f r o m a
shop by Riis. Related examples w i t h s i m i l a r c u r l i n g
s l i g h t l y off-center part, creating a h o r i z o n t a l m o v e
locks
covering
the
been
m e n t across the forehead. T h e hair b e h i n d the f r o n t a l
uncovered at L a v i n i u m and Rome. T h e male figure
locks f r a m i n g the face is l i g h t l y sketched d i r e c t l y i n t o
f r o m a l i m e s t o n e cinerary u r n l i d f o u n d at Chianciano
the clay f o r m i n g the back o f the head. T h e clay b o d y is
(Florence,
b r o w n - b e i g e and contains small m i c a and stone i n c l u
Museo
temples
and
ears
have
A r c h e o l o g i c o 94352) follows
the
same head type seen i n the terracotta v o t i v e head
series. B r o n z e statuettes w i t h the same facial charac
teristics
and
hairstyle have been f o u n d
sions consistent w i t h other examples f r o m C a e r e .
35
T h e p i g m e n t covering this y o u t h f u l male head is
at Falerii
excellently preserved. B l a c k p i g m e n t was used for the
( L o n d o n , B r i t i s h M u s e u m 681) and Falterona (Paris,
hair and red for the facial areas. Short strokes o f black
L o u v r e 291). A bronze statuette i n the M e t r o p o l i t a n
p i g m e n t extend ahead o f a m i s s i n g fragment o n the
M u s e u m i n N e w Y o r k shares these same features b u t
r i g h t side and over the upper p o r t i o n o f the forehead,
lacks a provenance.
A bronze oinochoe f r o m G a b i i
c o n t i n u i n g the r e l i e f c u r l o f the hair. A t h i n l y applied
(Paris, L o u v r e 2955) also takes this head type, as does
layer o f black overlaps the red p i g m e n t o f the b r o w t o
a
British
indicate eyebrows. A darker red indicates heavy bags
M u s e u m 1692). A bronze u r n l i d figure f r o m Perugia
beneath the eyes and accents the edge o f each n o s t r i l .
(St. Petersburg,
H e r m i t a g e Β 485) is related t o this
A band o f red also cuts across the l o w e r edge o f the
T h e head t y p e first appears i n E t r u r i a w i t h the
A p p r o x i m a t e l y t w e n t y - f i v e t h i n l y applied black spots
bronze
head
head category.
from
Bolsena
(London,
33
strands o f hair incised i n t o the back o f the head.
i n f l u x o f P o l y k l e i t a n models f r o m Southern Italy d u r
are r a n d o m l y spread over the r i g h t cheek. T h e d e l i n
i n g the second h a l f o f the f i f t h century. T h e bronze
eation o f these spots and the bags b e l o w the eyes p r o
oinochoe f r o m G a b i i dates f r o m this i n t r o d u c t i o n .
v i d e a rare example i n d i c a t i n g i l l n e s s .
36
T h e terracotta head f r o m Falerii, the u r n l i d f r o m
Examples related t o this series have been dis
Chianciano, and the bronze examples p r e v i o u s l y cited
covered at b o t h Caere (fig. 13) and Punta della V i p e r a
c o n t i n u e the t y p e t h r o u g h the f o u r t h century. Hafner
(Civitavecchia, M u s e o A r c h e o l o g i c o Nazionale). J i f i
assigns the examples o f the m o l d series i n B o l o g n a
Frei w r o n g l y assigns the G e t t y head (fig. 12) t o the
and C o p e n h a g e n t o the t h i r d century. La Regina also
t h i r d quarter o f the first century. Simonetta S t o p p o n i
dates the related examples f r o m L a v i n i u m t o this same
dates the head f r o m Punta della V i p e r a to the b e g i n
p e r i o d . V a g n e t t i proposes a date i n t o the second cen
n i n g o f the t h i r d century, and M a r i a D o n a t e l l a G e n t i l i
t u r y for the fragmentary
implies
head f r o m Veii. A c o m
a second-century
date for the head
parison w i t h the s i m i l a r h a n d l i n g o f the hair and facial
Caere. T h i s last placement
details
assignment o f a stylistically s i m i l a r head f r o m
seen o n coins
depicting K i n g
Hieronymus
agrees w i t h
from
Cornelias
Tar-
m i n t e d at Syracuse 216-215 B . C . suggests that Va-
quinia (Museo A r c h e o l o g i c o Nazionale 4682). A l l o f
gnetti's d a t i n g may be a b i t late and that the G e t t y and
these heads share a s i m i l a r h a n d l i n g o f the hair, eyes,
Kelsey examples s h o u l d be dated t o the second h a l f o f
brow, and nose and s h o u l d be dated t o the first h a l f o f
the t h i r d century. Late examples o f greatly reduced
the second c e n t u r y .
37
size (10.6 c m ) , such as Los Angeles C o u n t y M u s e u m
A C a m p a n i a n m o l d series is represented by a
o f A r t M . 82.77.24, p r o b a b l y d i d c o n t i n u e i n t o the
well-preserved head i n the G e t t y M u s e u m (fig. 14).
next c e n t u r y .
34
A n Etruscan m o l d series f r o m Caere is repre
A n identical v o t i v e head f r o m the same m o l d genera
t i o n is preserved i n the M u s e o C a m p a n o
38
i n Capua
sented by an example i n the G e t t y M u s e u m (fig. 12).
(fig. 1 5 ) .
T h e face is softly m o d e l e d f o l l o w i n g L y s i p -
T h e head is fragmentary and preserved d o w n t o the
pean models. T h e b r o w , planes o f the nose, and the
level o f the c h i n . I t is n o t veiled, and the seam f o r m e d
lips have been g e n t l y r o u n d e d . T h e eyes are small, and
by the j o i n i n g o f the f r o n t and back m o l d s is visible
a slight depression beneath suggests the ridge o f the
above the ears. T h e face is a fleshy o v o i d shape. T h e
cheekbone and the u p w a r d curve o f the l o w e r l i d . T h e
edges o f the b r o w , deep-set eyes, and nose have been
ears are s u m m a r i l y indicated w i t h i n the u n d u l a t i n g
23
waves o f hair f r a m i n g the face d o w n t o the level o f the
c h i n . I n d i v i d u a l locks w i t h i n this asymmetrical hair
mass are rendered b y i n c i s i o n . D i s k earrings are sug
gested b e l o w the ears. T h e neck flares o u t w a r d to
f o r m a base, and the v e i l covering the back o f the head
follows the c o n t o u r o f b o t h the hair and the neck. T h e
clay b o d y is o r a n g e - p i n k and contains a large q u a n t i t y
o f small mica particles. T h e surface o f the terracotta is
abraded, b u t traces o f a beige slip are preserved o n the
left side o f the face.
T h e identical head i n Capua is reported to be o f
local clay as are three other examples f o u n d at the
same site. A c o m p a r i s o n o f this series w i t h the head o f
a statue i n the same m u s e u m (inv. 2311) indicates the
probable source for the m o l d series. B o n g h i J o v i n o
attributes this statue fragment t o Cales and assigns i t
to the first quarter o f the t h i r d century. T h e softening
o f the delineations o f the brow, nose, and lips and the
freer h a n d l i n g o f the hair mass seen i n the v o t i v e head
F I G U R E
12
Etruscan male head. Height: 20.0 cm. Malibu, J. Paul
series indicate that these pieces date s l i g h t l y later, b u t
probably w i t h i n this same century. A stylistic c o m
parison w i t h a bronze statuette i n the M u s e o A r c h e o
l o g i c o i n Florence (inv. 554) dated 300-250 B . C . sup
ports this placement. S i m i l a r terracotta examples w i t h
v a r y i n g hairstyles have been n o t e d at Cales, B o m a r z o ,
L a v i n i u m , V e i i , Tarquinia, Rome, and Caere.
39
Stylistically related to this Capuan series are t w o
female v o t i v e heads i n the Kelsey and G e t t y museums
(figs. 16, 17). These terracottas depict a fleshier facial
t y p e than that seen i n any o f the preceding series. A
larger example f r o m an earlier generation o f this m o l d
series, w i t h a s l i g h t l y different hairstyle, was exca
vated at A n t e r a - C a s m a r i , V e r o l i .
40
T h e general shape
o f the face resembles that o f the previous
Capuan
v o t i v e heads and o f M u s e o C a m p a n o 2311, a t t r i b u t e d
t o Cales. L i k e the Calean terracotta, the b r o w and the
planes o f the nose are s t r o n g l y delineated. T h e details
o f the eyes i n b o t h the G e t t y and the Kelsey examples
are b l u r r e d due to m o l d wear. T h e left eye angles
downward
at the outside
corner
and the lips
are
parted. T h e hair frames the face i n a series o f incised,
lobed waves that cover the upper p o r t i o n o f the s u m
m a r i l y m o d e l e d ears; loose strands o f hair appear f r o m
b e h i n d the ears t o frame the neck. A fillet w i t h a
F I G U R E
13
Etruscan male head from Caere. Height: 30.6 cm. Cerveteri, Museo Nazionale Cerite 93540. Photo: Author.
central k n o b or j e w e l encircles the head b e h i n d the
waves and ahead o f the v e i l . T h e j a w is fleshy. Fleshy
folds i n the m o d e l i n g o f the neck suggest the seden
tary life led b y these w o m e n . S i m i l a r folds o f flesh
appear i n H e l l e n i s t i c representations
o f Aphrodite,
following
Aphrodite o f
Knidos.
41
the
model
o f Praxiteles'
T h e v e i l follows the c o n t o u r o f the hair and
24
Smithers
merges w i t h the edge o f a garment to f o r m a base.
A b o v e the edge o f this garment, a r o l l o f clay f o r m s a
necklace e n c i r c l i n g the neck. I n the G e t t y piece this
necklace is incised t o suggest coiled w i r e . T h e clay
b o d y is o r a n g e - p i n k and contains small particles o f
mica. A darkened b u f f - c o l o r slip covers the entire
head, and a w h i t e i n c r u s t a t i o n covers a large section o f
the forehead, the central hair locks, the left side o f the
face, and p o r t i o n s o f the back.
T h e Kelsey terracotta is a t t r i b u t e d to P ut eo li.
T h e hairstyle w o r n b y b o t h the Kelsey and G e t t y
heads recalls that o f M u s e o C a m p a n o 2311 and that o f
a Capuan oinochoe i n the f o r m o f a female head dated
by B o n g h i J o v i n o t o the last quarter o f the f o u r t h
century.
M a r c e l l o R i z z e l l o has
dated
the
Antera-
Casmari deposit f r o m the end o f the t h i r d to the
first
h a l f o f the first c e n t u r y B . C . T W O busts f r o m A r i c c i a
(Rome, A n t i q u a r i u m C o m u n a l e 112375 and 112376)
have the same face shape, h a n d l i n g o f the face and hair
details,
flesh
folds o f the neck, loose hair strands
appearing f r o m b e h i n d the ears, and k n o t t e d fillet
b i n d i n g the hair. Inv. 112375 also wears a coiled torque
F I G U R E
14
Campanian female head. Height: 20.0 cm. Malibu,
J. Paul Getty Museum 71. A D . 305.
s i m i l a r t o the G e t t y terracotta. A n n a Z e v i G a l l i n a has
dated these busts t o s h o r t l y after 300 B . C . T h i s d a t i n g
is supported b y t w o coins f r o m the end o f the f o u r t h
to the b e g i n n i n g o f the t h i r d c e n t u r y f o u n d i n the
course o f the excavation at A r i c c i a .
the Veroli,
42
A comparison o f
Kelsey, and G e t t y terracottas
with
the
examples f r o m A r i c c i a suggests that Rizzello's d a t i n g
o f the A n t e r a - C a s m a r i deposit is a l i t t l e late and that
all these pieces s h o u l d be assigned t o the first h a l f o f
the t h i r d century. Based o n the stylistic similarities
this series shares w i t h Capuan and Calean examples,
an assignment o f b o t h the G e t t y and Kelsey heads to
C a m p a n i a seems probable.
A n o t h e r C a m p a n i a n series is represented b y a
female head i n the G e t t y M u s e u m (fig. 18). T h e nose
has been repaired. T h e clay b o d y is b e i g e - p i n k , w i t h
mica and w h i t e stone inclusions. A n o r a n g e - p i n k slip
covers the facial areas, the front o f the veil, and the
neck. Red-orange
flashing
f r o m the
firing
process is
evident o n the r i g h t cheek and neck. T h i s same series
is f o u n d at Capua i n the M u s e o C a m p a n o (inv. 2299
and 2296). A l l three examples range i n h e i g h t f r o m
21 c m t o 22 c m and are o f the same m o l d generation.
T h e hair is rendered i n a series o f incised waves f o r m
i n g a " m e l o n coiffure." T h e v e i l f o l l o w s the c o n t o u r
o f this hair mass and merges w i t h the c y l i n d r i c a l f o r m
F I G U R E
15
Campanian female head from Capua. Height: 19.0 cm.
Capua, Museo Campano 2428. Photo: Author.
o f the neck. T h i s hairstyle, as w e l l as the shape o f the
face and the h a n d l i n g o f the facial details, is consistent
w i t h related examples f o u n d at C a p u a .
43
FIGURE
l6
FIGURE
Campanian female head attributed to Puteoli.
Height: 19.0 cm. Ann Arbor, The University of
Michigan, Kelsey Museum of Ancient and Medi
aeval Archaeology 2798. Photo courtesy Kelsey
Museum of Ancient and Mediaeval Archaeology.
25
17
Campanian female head. Height: 18.8 cm. Mal
ibu, J. Paul Getty Museum 7 1 . A D . 306.
G u i d o Kaschnitz-Weinberg assigned this t y p e to
sented by the bust is one o f delicate, regal beauty. T h e
the end o f the f o u r t h or the b e g i n n i n g o f the t h i r d
bust extends b e l o w the shoulders and is m i s s i n g the
century. L i k e the previous series, the lips are parted
chest. T h e head angles s l i g h t l y t o the left. Three large
and a flesh f o l d is incised i n t o the neck f o l l o w i n g the
c u r l i n g locks project a s y m m e t r i c a l l y over the left p o r
t r a d i t i o n o f Praxiteles' K n i d i a n A p h r o d i t e . T h e soft
t i o n o f the forehead. T h e hair mass o n either side o f
m o d e l i n g o f the facial features is reminiscent o f this
these curls is swept back f r o m the face and over the
t r a d i t i o n and o f Etruscan bronze heads d a t i n g f r o m
ears. T w o w a v y strands o f hair c o n t i n u e d o w n f r o m
the
first
coiffure"
half
o f the
third
century.
The
"melon
c o m b i n e d w i t h a s i m i l a r h a n d l i n g o f the
the ears, flank the neck, and cover the upper edge o f
the shoulders
t o the clasps o f her garment.
A veil
facial features and w i t h flesh folds o n the neck occurs
covers the hair b e h i n d and f o l l o w s the c o n t o u r o f the
in
head. T h e o v o i d head is placed u p o n a l o n g , delicate
(fig.
an E g y p t i a n decadrachm
19),
which
was
minted
depicting Berenike I I
i n Alexandria
235-
neck. T h e facial features are f i n e l y m o d e l e d b u t d o
220 B . C . A stylistic c o m p a r i s o n between this c o i n and
show indications o f m o l d wear. T h e b r o w is sharply
the Capuan series indicates that Kaschnitz-Weinberg's
delineated, especially over the left eye. T h e eyes are
should
small and have the cornea and p u p i l indicated i n relief.
be assigned to the m i d d l e or second h a l f o f the t h i r d
d a t i n g is t o o early and that these terracottas
T h e b r o a d nose curves g e n t l y d o w n f r o m the fore
century.
44
head. T h e contours o f the parted lips are b l u r r e d as a
I n a d d i t i o n to v o t i v e heads, female busts are also
result o f m o l d wear. A gentle, c u r v i n g j a w l i n e extends
west-
back f r o m a s t r o n g l y m o d e l e d c h i n and up t o simple
central Italy. G e t t y M u s e u m 71.AD.23 8 (fig. 20) is an
l o o p earrings that project d o w n f r o m ears h i d d e n b y
excellent example o f this category. T h e image pre-
the hair mass. T h e clay b o d y has been finely levigated
commonly
f o u n d i n the v o t i v e deposits o f
26
Smithers
and fired t o a red-orange color. T h e entire piece has
been d i p p e d i n a w h i t e coating, possibly to replicate
the appearance o f marble. N o other p i g m e n t a t i o n is
preserved.
N u m b e r s o f Etruscan female b u s t - l e n g t h votives
have been f o u n d at Caere. H e a d fragments
preserved
i n the L o w i e M u s e u m o f A n t h r o p o l o g y i n Berkeley
e x h i b i t a s i m i l a r h a n d l i n g o f details. A badly damaged
head ( L o w i e 8-2889) retains a hairstyle v e r y s i m i l a r t o
that o f the G e t t y bust. Three damaged locks evident
o n the upper left side o f the L o w i e head m a y have
projected over the forehead s i m i l a r l y t o those o f G e t t y
71. A D . 2 3 8 (fig. 20). O t h e r related hairstyles w i t h t h i c k
a s y m m e t r i c a l l y placed locks p r o j e c t i n g over the fore
head are f o u n d o n L o w i e 8-2328 (fig. 21),
8-2888,
8-6767, and 8-6768. L o w i e 8-2328, 8-2829, and 8-2913
have s i m i l a r w a v y strands o f hair f l a n k i n g the neck
d o w n t o the shoulders. Strands o f hair also flank the
necks d o w n t o the shoulders
o n G e t t y 71.AD. 306
(fig. 17), Kelsey 2798 (fig. 16), and a larger female bust
f r o m A r i c c i a (Rome, A n t i q u a r i u m C o m u n a l e 112375).
S i m p l e l o o p earrings are evident o n L o w i e 8-2913 and
8-7627. A fragmentary statue o f a y o u t h excavated at
Lucera shares the same general facial shape and e l o n
gated neck f o u n d i n the G e t t y b u s t .
F I G U R E
T h e h a n d l i n g o f the hair and facial features o f
l8
Campanian female head. Height: 22.0 cm. Malibu,
J. Paul Getty Museum 71. A D . 3 0 4 .
45
G e t t y 71.AD.238 (fig. 20) again attests t o stylistic i n f l u
ences received t h r o u g h contact w i t h M a g n a Graecia.
A s i m i l a r r e n d e r i n g o f the hair at the sides o f the
head, brow, and eyes is seen i n a terracotta head f r o m
Taras n o w i n the M u s e u m o f Fine A r t s i n B o s t o n .
T h i s Tarentine example has been dated b y L . D . Caskey to the late
fifth
c e n t u r y B . C . G a l l i n a dates the
A r i c c i a bust t o a l i t t l e after 300 B . C . N a g y assigns the
h i g h l y articulated and often u n r u l y hair and the sense
o f i m m e d i a c y i t generates i n the L o w i e examples to
the second c e n t u r y B . C . T h i s later date coincides w i t h
F i l l i Rossi's second-century placement o f the f r a g m e n
tary statue f r o m Lucera. T h e degree o f a s y m m e t r y
seen i n the t i l t i n g o f the head and the r e n d e r i n g o f the
hair o f the G e t t y bust contrasts w i t h the s y m m e t r y o f
the A r i c c i a example and suggests i t s h o u l d be dated
later.
(fig.
Stylistic elements shared b y G e t t y 71.AD.23 8
20), the v o t i v e statue f r o m
Caeretan terracottas
Lucera,
and
the
i n the L o w i e M u s e u m indicate
that the G e t t y bust also s h o u l d be assigned t o the
second c e n t u r y .
F I G U R E
19
Egyptian gold decadrachm depicting Berenike I I .
Diameter: 35 mm. Boston, Museum of Fine Arts
35.122, Anonymous gift in memory of Zoe Wilbour.
Photo courtesy Museum of Fine Arts.
46
Since other examples f r o m the m o l d
series that p r o d u c e d G e t t y 71.AD.238 have n o t been
published, its provenance remains i n question.
Infants i n w r a p p i n g s
first
appeared i n central
Italy d u r i n g the last quarter o f the f o u r t h c e n t u r y B . C .
FIGURE
20
Etruscan female bust. Height: 27.0 cm. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum
71.AD.238.
FIGURE
21
Etruscan female bust from Caere. Height: 26.5 cm. Berkeley, University
of California, Robert H. Lowie Museum of Anthropology 8-2328. Photo
courtesy Robert H. Lowie Museum of Anthropology.
27
28
Smithers
and represent a t o t a l l y Italian development.
These
standing or r e c l i n i n g figures are w r a p p e d either i n
s w a d d l i n g cloths or i n a mantle f r o m w h i c h o n l y the
hands and feet project. A fragmentary figure o f a c h i l d
i n the G e t t y M u s e u m (fig. 22) is an example o f the
t y p e w r a p p e d i n a mantle. O t h e r fragmentary figures
o f this category are i n the Kelsey M u s e u m (inv. 1768
[fig. 23] and 1770). T h e left a r m o f the G e t t y v o t i v e
extends along the left side and o n l y the hand, clenched
a r o u n d a sphere (pomegranate?), protrudes f r o m the
drapery. T h e large r i g h t h a n d w i t h extended fingers
projects f r o m under the edge o f the drapery and rests
o n the left side o f the chest. L i k e the Kelsey examples,
t w o b r o a d bands indicate the edge o f the garment, b u t
these bands proceed at an angle across the chest f r o m
the r i g h t shoulder. T h e soft, circular face is framed b y
a v e i l and includes a fleshy double c h i n . T h e features
are s u m m a r i l y m o d e l e d and p r o b a b l y were o r i g i n a l l y
enhanced w i t h paint. A greenish-cream slip coats the
entire figure.
Red p i g m e n t indicates the hair,
and
traces o f this same p i g m e n t are preserved o n the drap
ery and the i n d e x finger o f the left hand. A n a r r o w
b o d y type s i m i l a r to that o f the G e t t y bambino is seen
i n a second-century bambino in fasce excavated at V e i i
(Rome, V i l l a G i u l i a 2 6 1 0 ) .
47
T h e m o d e l i n g o f the
G e t t y bambino also suggests a second-century date, b u t
its provenance remains a mystery.
S h o r t l y after 100 B . C . the bambino in fasce type
disappeared f r o m the sanctuaries o f the
kourotrophos
along w i t h the anatomical votives. T h e end o f the
practice o f dedicating these votives coincides
with
extensive r e m o d e l i n g p r o g r a m s i n i t i a t e d at the sites
under R o m a n d o m i n a t i o n . T h e r e m o d e l i n g p r o g r a m s
also reflect a change i n sponsorship o f these h o l y sites
f r o m a r u r a l a g r i c u l t u r a l p o p u l a t i o n t o an aristocracy
w i t h nearby suburban villas and i m p e r i a l patronage.
R o m e received its
first
Greek doctor,
son o f Lysanias f r o m the Peloponnesos,
( P l i n y the Elder, N.H.
Archagathos,
i n 217 B . C .
29.12). B y circa 100-50 B . C . a
school o f medicine was f o u n d e d i n R o m e under the
d i r e c t i o n o f Asklepiades o f B i t i n i a ( P l i n y the Elder,
N.H.
7.124, 25.6, 2 6 . i 2 f f ) . A gradual increase i n the
availability o f medical treatment r e m o v e d m a n y a i l
ments f r o m the scope o f d i v i n e i n t e r v e n t i o n and also
c o n t r i b u t e d to the disappearance o f the anatomical
votives f r o m the sanctuaries o f the kourotrophos. V o t i v e
heads c o n t i n u e d to be produced. W h y the bambini in
fasce disappeared w i t h the anatomical votives remains
FIGURE
22
Infant wrapped in a mantle. Height: 54.7 cm. Malibu, J. Paul Getty
Museum 71. A D . 2 4 0 .
t o be e x p l a i n e d .
Scholars
48
have connected
the terracotta v o t i v e
heads and busts w i t h the healing o f unseen head a i l -
merits
or
blemishes
and
the
v o t i v e bambini
29
with
requests for a c h i l d or the deliverance o f a c h i l d f r o m
disease. These interpretations are based solely o n the
fact that b o t h v o t i v e types are f o u n d i n a context w i t h
anatomical votives. Signs o f disease sometimes occur
o n anatomical votives b u t rarely o n the v o t i v e heads
9
or bambini.*
Votive heads t e n d t o be y o u t h f u l , ideal
representations, and o n l y rarely do they s h o w i n d i c a
tions o f advancing age
(e.g., w r i n k l e s ) or illness.
Those examples that do are relatively late (e.g., f i g . 12)
and m a y reflect the influence o f Republican veristic
portraits. I f v o t i v e bambini were meant to indicate a
request for a c h i l d , t h e n all examples
o f the t y p e
s h o u l d represent n e w b o r n s — b u t m a n y do not.
It m u s t be remembered that the central Italian
kourotrophos
watched over her followers n o t o n l y i n
life b u t i n death as w e l l . H e r sanctuaries are some
times f o u n d i n or near necropoleis. I n this role, the
Italian kourotrophos parallels the Greek Persephone or
the R o m a n Proserpine as Q u e e n o f Hades.
Orphic
inscriptions f o u n d i n Southern Italy m e n t i o n that the
deceased w i l l become a g o d after h a v i n g been a m a n
and that he m u s t pray t o Persephone t o send h i m t o
the d w e l l i n g place o f the i m m o r t a l s . T h e v e i l w o r n b y
m o s t central Italian and R o m a n v o t i v e heads and bam
bini in fasce reflects the pietas i d e n t i f i e d w i t h
R o m a n and Etruscan
religious rite.
The veil
both
also
serves an apotropaic f u n c t i o n b y i s o l a t i n g the people
depicted f r o m the profane and p r o t e c t i n g t h e m f r o m
e v i l forces.
50
A h i g h m o r t a l i t y rate was a reality i n the ancient
w o r l d . T h e R o m a n b e l i e f i n the f a m i l y u n i t e x i s t i n g
o n b o t h sides o f the grave m u s t be considered i n the
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f these votives since R o m a n beliefs
often reflect those o f t h e i r Etruscan and C a m p a n i a n
neighbors.
51
For that reason, v o t i v e heads m a y express
h o w the deceased h o p e d to l o o k i n the afterlife j u s t as
w e l l as a hope o f a cure for some head a i l m e n t i n life.
B o t h realms fell i n t o the d o m a i n o f the kourotrophos.
Similarly, the bambino in fasce m i g h t be i n t e r p r e t e d as a
request for the safe passage o f a c h i l d t o the afterlife.
T h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f these v o t i v e types as dedications
for
the
preservation
o f the
physical soul
of
the
deceased is i n keeping w i t h b o t h O r p h i c t h o u g h t s o n
r e b i r t h and the R o m a n concept o f the family.
The
connection w i t h the p e r p e t u a t i o n o f the f a m i l y w o u l d
explain their discovery i n a context w i t h votives c o n
cerned w i t h healing, fertility, m o t h e r h o o d , and the
f a m i l y as w e l l as the variety o f ages seen i n the faces
o f the bambini.
T h e v o t i v e c h i l d i n figure 22 and
numerous
F I G U R E
23
Infant wrapped in a mantle, from Veii. Height: 28.0 cm. Ann
Arbor, The University of Michigan, Kelsey Museum of Ancient
and Mediaeval Archaeology 1768. Photo courtesy Kelsey Museum
of Ancient and Mediaeval Archaeology.
30
Smithers
other central Italian v o t i v e figures clench a p o m e g r a n
ate i n t h e i r left hand. T h e pomegranate is an a t t r i b u t e
connected w i t h b o t h Persephone and the central I t a l
52
ian kourotrophos.
Its presence i n the hands o f these
votives f u r t h e r suggests that they enlist the aid o f the
4.
kourotrophos and protectress o f the n e w l y deceased.
P r i o r t o the i n s t i t u t i o n a l i z a t i o n o f Italian m e d i
cine d u r i n g the first c e n t u r y B . C . , the role o f the I t a l
ian kourotrophos
countless
embraced a l l o f life's concerns.
anatomical
votives
preserved
from
The
her
sanctuaries reveal the direct and personal nature o f the
cult
o f the
between
kourotrophos
and
the
close
connection
H e l l e n i s t i c r e l i g i o n and m e d i c i n e i n Italy.
T h e d i v i n i t y w o r k e d t h r o u g h the priest-physician t o
effect the necessary cure. W h e n the priest-physician
failed o r the illness was b e y o n d m o r t a l means t o cure,
the goddess i n t e r v e n e d . I n death as w e l l as life, all that
5.
6.
believed i n her were safely cradled i n her arms.
Terre H a u t e
7.
Indiana State U n i v e r s i t y
NOTES
Abbreviations:
La Regina
Nagy
Riis, Etruscan Heads
Riis, Tyrrhenika
Α. La Regina, "Teste fittili votive," in
F. Castagnoli, Lavinium, vol. 2, Le tredici are,
pp. 197-252 (Rome, 1975).
H . Nagy, Votive Terracottas from the Vignaccia,
Cerveteri, in the Lowie Museum of Anthropology
(Rome, 1988).
P. J. Riis, Etruscan Types of Heads: A Revised
Chronology of the Archaic and Classical Ter
racottas of Etruscan Campania and Central Italy
(Copenhagen, 1981).
P. J. Riis, Tyrrhenika: An Archaeological Study
of the Etruscan Sculpture in the Archaic and Clas
sical Periods (Copenhagen, 1941).
8.
9.
I am grateful to Marion True, Marit Jentoft-Nilsen, and Benedicte
Gilman for assisting my study of the votive terracottas in the J. Paul
Getty Museum. I would also like to thank Richard DePuma for
cultivating and encouraging my continued study of Etruscan,
Latian, and Campanian terracottas.
1. Bonfante, "Dedicated Mothers," Popular Cults, Visible
Religion, vol. 3 (Leiden, 1984), pp. 1-3.
2. The Getty Museum has three representations of the kouro
trophos (inv. 71.AD.141, 71.AD.345, and 71.AD.347), all listed as
probably from Gela, Sicily. All three are from worn molds and
range in height from 11.ο cm to 13.5 cm.
3. A. Cornelia, "Tipologia e diffusione dei complessi votivi in
Italia in epoca medio- e tardo-repubblicana," MEFRA 93.2
(1981), pp. 758-762; idem, i7 deposito votivo presso VAra della
Regina (Rome, 1982), pp. 1-2. When discovered in their proper
context, these votive offerings are found in either open or
closed votive deposits. Open deposits are usually characterized
by a mixed chronology due to poorly conducted earlier exca
vations or cases in which votives were used as fill in antiquity.
10.
Closed deposits are sealed in irregularly shaped pits capped
with stone blocks or terracotta tiles. This type of deposit is
characterized by a homogenous chronology with well-defined
upper and lower limits. At times refuse pits can fit this cate
gory, but they often contain a mixture of other objects along
with the votives.
A. Maggiani, ed., Artigianato artistico in Etruria, exh. cat.
(Milan, 1985); S. Stopponi, ed., Case e palazzi d'Etruria, exh.
cat. (Milan, 1985); M . Cristofani, ed., Civiltä degli etruschi, exh.
cat. (Milan, 1985); A. Carandini, ed., La romanizzazione
delVEtruria: II territorio di Vulci, exh. cat. (Milan, 1985); G.
Camporeale, ed., L'Etruria mineraria, exh. cat. (Milan, 1985);
G. Colonna, ed., Santuari d'Etruria, exh. cat. (Milan, 1985);
M . Kunze and V. Kästner, eds., Die Welt der Etrusker, exh. cat.
(Berlin, 1988); Cornelia, "Tipologia" (above, note 3), pp. 717—
803; M . Fenelli, "Contributo per lo studio del votivo anatomico: I votivi anatomici di Lavinio," ArchCl 27.2 (1975),
pp. 206-252; Β. M . Fridh-Haneson, Le Manteau symbolique
(Stockholm, 1983); and Nagy.
R. V. Nicholls, "Type, Group and Series: A Reconsideration of
Some Coroplastic Fundamentals," BSA 47 (1952), pp. 219-221.
Idem, pp. 221-225; S. Steingräber, "Zum Phänomen der
Etruskisch-Italischen Votivköpfe," RM 87 (1980), p. 232;
S. Karatzas, "Technical Analysis," in Nagy, pp. 3-11.
Ν. Α. Winter, "Terracotta Representations of Human Heads
Used as Architectural Decoration in the Archaic Period," Ph.D.
diss., Bryn Mawr College, 1974, p. 124; idem, "Archaic Archi
tectural Terracottas Decorated with Human Heads," RM 85
(1978), p. 57; Riis, Etruscan Heads, pp. 36, 59-60.
Winter, "Terracotta Representations" (above, note 7), p. 124;
R. A. Higgins, Catalogue of the Terracottas in the Department of
Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum (London, 1969),
pp. 6-9; M . Bonghi Jovino, Depositi votivi d'Etruria (Milan,
1976), pp. 83-88. A double-chamber kiln has also been dis
covered near the supposed location of the temple of Uni at
Caere (Cerveteri). This kiln was used for ceramics for the
sanctuary and temple decorations. A storage area for molds has
been found. The walls of the kiln were carved into the natural
rock of the site and finished off with levigated tufa blocks. The
interior is separated into chambers with dividing walls
24.36 cm thick. A layer of clay and sand lines the interior
walls, which are red from high temperatures. One chamber
was used for firing and one for slow cool-down.
J. Τ Pena has analyzed the clay fabric of tableware, brick, tile,
and various types of vessels from known workshop sites in
Etruria Tiberina outside Rome. Two mineralogical techniques,
petrographic analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, and neutron
activation analysis were used. Pena also cites the major prob
lems associated with the compositional analysis of terracotta
material. See J. Τ Pena, "Roman-Period Ceramic Production
in Etruria Tiberina: A Geographical and Compositional Study,"
Ph.D. diss., University of Michigan, 1987.
Riis, Tyrrhenika, pp. 203-204; H. Herdejürgen, Götter, Men
schen und Dämonen: Terrakotten aus Unteritalien (Basel, 1978),
p. 14. Roman contacts with Etruscan art are interrupted at the
middle of the fifth century. Commercial connections between
Rome and Athens also decline and do not revive until the end
of the century. This decline coincides with a social and consti
tutional change occurring in Rome circa 450 B . C . See
E. Gjerstad, "Origins of the Roman Republic," in Les Origines
de la Republique Romaine. Fondation Hardt, entretiens sur
l'antiquite classique, vol. 13 (Geneva, 1967), pp. 7-28.
11. Riis, Tyrrhenika, p. 187. The destruction of Veii is referred to
in Diodorus 14.93.2-5 and Livy 5.21.17, 22.1-8, 50.8, 51-54,
and 6.4.5. Late Portonaccio and Campetti finds indicate that
the sanctuaries continued in use after the Roman destruction.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
A votive deposit discovered on the slope of the akropolis and
facing the town contained material dated as late as the second
and first centuries B . C . The reticulated walls of the Roman
buildings indicate continued activity in the Campetti area
until the first century. Such work was common between the
second quarter of the first century B . C . and the second half of
the first century A . D . A struggle in circa 41 B . C . probably
resulted in a massive destruction of the city. Vagnetti has sug
gested that traces of burning on the latest votives indicate such
a violent destruction. See Riis, Etruscan Heads, p. 50; Bonghi
Jovino (above, note 8), pp. 45-48, 68.
Riis, Tyrrhenika, p. 197. The paintings of the Frangois Tomb at
Vulci (340-310 B . C . ) may reflect the encroaching threat of
Rome. In these paintings, scenes depicting the victory of the
Greeks over the Trojans are paired with scenes of heroes from
Vulci vanquishing Romans. See L. Bonfante, "Historical Art:
Etruscan and Early Roman," AJAH 3 (1978), pp. 136-138. For
the most recent study of this tomb, see F. Buranelli, ed., ha
tomba Frangois di Vulci (Rome, 1987).
T. F. C. Blagg, "Cult Practice and Its Social Context in the
Religious Sanctuaries of Latium and Southern Etruria: The
Sanctuary of Diana at Nemi," Papers in Italian Archaeology,
vol. 4, BAR 246 (Oxford, 1985), pp. 37-39.
Ibid., pp. 39-41. Blagg associates the appearance of anatomical
votives in Etruria and Latium with the influx of some
Hellenistic ideas mediated through Rome during a period
of intensified Roman influence. He associates the introduction
of Greek medical knowledge with the entrance of the cult
of Asklepios to Rome in 292 B . C .
C. Roebuck has suggested that the votive heads common to
the Asklepieion at Corinth as well as the sanctuaries of westcentral Italy may generally refer to the removal of blemishes or
headaches, ailments not requiring illustration. See C. Roe
buck, "The Asklepieion and Lerna," Corinth 14 (1951), p. 118.
A rare example suggesting a glandular disorder is mentioned
in M . Besnier, Elle Tiberine dans Vantiquite (Paris, 1902),
P- 235·
Riis, Etruscan Heads, pp. 75-79; Riis, Tyrrhenika, p. 193;
Bonghi Jovino (above, note 8), p. 77.
L. R. Taylor mentions that two collections of votives were
discovered to the west of Caere in 1829 and circa 1886. The
second find became part of the Chigi collection. See L. R.
Taylor, "Local Cults in Etruria," PAAR 2 (1923), p. 118. L. Borsari mentions the discovery of the Chigi votives but does not
include detailed descriptions of the individual pieces (see NSc,
4th ser., 2 [1886], pp. 38-39). The bearded votive in the Chigi
collection was not available during my visit to Siena and is
known to me only through a black-and-white photograph
provided by the Soprintendenza alle antichitä d'Etruria,
Florence.
M . Sprenger and G. Bartoloni, The Etruscans: Their History,
Art, and Architecture (New York, 1983), p. 118, pi. 133;
A. Andren, Architectural Terracottas from Etrusco-Italic Temples
(Lund and Leipzig, 1940), pp. 69, 162, 179, 180, pis. 23.81, 83;
62.201; 68.220, 223; A. Rallo, "Per una nuova classificazione di
alcune antefisse provenienti da Pyrgi," ArchCl 29 (1977),
pp. 202-205, pi. 54.2; La Regina, pp. 219-221, 250, fig. 301.
Although the antefixes from Tarquinia and Orvieto seem to be
of the same mold series, Andren contradicts himself by dating
the Tarquinian examples to the fourth-third century and the
Orvieto examples to the fifth-early fourth century. Mold
series do extend over long periods of time, but not over two
centuries.
La Reginas dating is based on comparisons with a votive
head in the Museo Nazionale Romano dated by Hafner to the
fourth century. His mid-fourth-century dating also takes into
31
consideration Roman sources, stating that the general practice
of shaving was introduced from Sicily toward the end of the
fourth century. For head details of the Artemision Zeus, see
J. Boardman, Greek Sculpture: The Classical Period (New York,
1985), pi. 5a.
19. A female head with a similar projection of the hair over the
temples and then sweeping back over the ears has been found
at Lavinium. See M . Torelli, Lavinio e Roma (Rome, 1984),
fig. 24. Torelli's figures 23-32 illustrate male and female heads
with the hair sheared off behind the ears. Torelli links the cut
hair evident in these depictions with rites of passage from
childhood to adulthood. Also see B. Lincoln, "Treatment of
Hair and Fingernails Among the Indo-Europeans," in
M . Eliade, J. M . Kitagawa, and J. Z. Smith, eds., History of
Religions, vol. 16, no. 4 (Chicago, 1977), pp. 351-362.
20. A similar handling of the hair and polos is seen in a mid-fifthcentury head from Selinous. See M . Sprenger, Die Etruskische
Plastik des V Jahrhunderts v.Chr. und Ihr Verhältnis zur
Griechischen Kunst (Rome, 1972), pp. 56-57, pi. 27.2.
21. L. Vagnetti, 77 deposito votivo di Campetti a Veio (Florence, 1971),
pp. 41-42.
22. Archaic and Classical Etruscan bronzes show a similar incision
of the pupil and cornea. See Riis, Tyrrhenika, p. 31.
23. Large and clumsily placed ears also appear on heads found at
Lavinium. See Torelli (above, note 19), figs. 24, 28.
24. G. M . A. Richter, Korai: Archaic Greek Maidens (New York,
1968), pp. 102-103, figs. 587-590. M . Cristofani, "La 'Mater
Matuta' di Chianciano," in Soprintendenza alle antichitä
d'Etruria, Nuove letture di monumenti etruschi, exh. cat. (Flor
ence, 1971), pp. 92-93. V. Kästner wrongly dates a Latian
female head antefix with the same hairstyle and similar facial
features (Berlin TC 3778) to the second or third quarter of the
sixth century B . C . See Die Welt der Etrusker (above, note 4),
p. 182, pi. Β 6.io.
25. Μ. Cristofani, Statue-einerario Chiusine di eta classica (Rome,
1975), pp. 41-72, pis. 26-28.
26. Bonghi Jovino (above, note 8), pp. 65-67. Figure 6 (75. A D . 9 8 )
is classified as Tarantine by the Getty Museum.
27. Cornelia, "Tipologia" (above, note 3), fig. 17; M . Mazzolani,
Forma Italiae: Anagnia (Rome, 1969), fig. 106; G. Hafner,
"Frauen- und Mädchenbilder aus Terrakotta im Museo Gregoriano Etrusco," RM 72 (1965), pp. 46-47; Nagy, figs. 3-5, 9,
24; La Regina, pp. 197-198, C2-C7; Torelli (above, note 19),
fig. 22; Andren (above, note 18), p. 258, π.4, pis. 87.309,
88.314·
28. L. Fedeli, in L'Etruria mineraria (above, note 4), pp. 106-107,
pi. 464; Boardman (above, note 18), fig. 144; Hafner (above,
note 27), p. 47; Cornelia, "Tipologia" (above, note 3), p. 782;
La Regina, p. 198; Nagy, p. 15; S. Steingräber, Catalogo
ragionato della pittura etrusca (Milan, 1985), pi. 148; Mazzolani
(above, note 27), p. 88.
29. Although this head is probably part of the same mold genera
tion as that seen in the two Getty Museum heads, I was not
able to confirm this by measuring the piece.
30. Boardman (above, note 18), pi. 65; J. J. Pollitt, Art and Experi
ence in Classical Greece (London, 1974), pi. 63; Riis, Etruscan
Heads, p. 29, Caeretan type 20B; Rallo (above, note 18), p. 204,
pis. π . i , L i i i . 2 , L I V . 1; M . Bonghi Jovino, Capua preromana: Terrecotte votive, vol. 1 (Florence, 1965), p. 27; Herdejürgen (above,
note 10), p. 97, pi. C17.
31. L. Gatti Lo Guzzo, 17 deposito dall'Esquilino detto di Minerva
Medica (Florence, 1978), p. 89, type Gm; J. N . Svoronos and
Β. V. Head, The Illustrations of the Historia Numorum: An Atlas
of Greek Numismatics (Chicago, 1976), pi. vin.7; M . Cristofani,
I bronzi degli etruschi (Novara, 1985), pi. 62.
32. Los Angeles County Museum of Art M . 82.77.24 is mentioned
32
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
Smithers
here only to illustrate the longevity of this mold series. Heads
from the end of a long series often lack the necessary details
for stylistic analysis. Nineteen similar heads from the end of
various series are included in the Johns Hopkins University
Department of Classics and in the Vassar College collections.
Incised lines replace worn hair details in many of these late
examples.
Vagnetti (above, note 21), pi. X X I . C V I ; G. Hafner, "Etruskische
Togati," AntP 9 (1969), pp. 28-29, pi- I 3 a - c ; Riis, Tyrrhenika,
p. 54, pi. 8.2; Riis, Etruscan Heads, p. 47, Veian type 17L; M . A.
Rizzo, in Santuari d'Etruria (above, note 4), p. 86, no. 4.9 A2;
G. Hafner, "Männer- und Jünglingsbilder aus Terrakotta im
Museo Gregoriano Etrusco," RM 73/74 (1966-1967), p. 39,
pls. 7.1-4, 8.1; Β. M . Thomasson, "Deposito votivo dell'antica
cittä di Lavinio (Practica di Mare)," OpRom 3 (1961), pl. v . 2 6 28; La Regina, figs. 281-286; P. Pensabene, in Quaderni del
Centro di Studio per VArcheologia Etrusco-Italica (Archeologia
Laziale, vol. 2) 3 (1979), pl. X L V . 4 ; O. J. Brendel, Etruscan Art
(New York, 1978), pl. 244; M . Cristofani, in Civiltä degli
etruschi (above, note 4), pp. 301-303, no. 11.22; Cristofani
(above, note 31), pis. 4.9, 115, 117, 118.
Ibid., pp. 106, 220, 224, 226; idem, in Civiltä deglia etruschi
(above, note 4), pp. 301-303, no. 11.22; Hafner, "Etruskische
Togati" (above, note 33), p. 29; La Regina, p. 251; Vagnetti
(above, note 21), p. 53; Svoronos and Head (above, note 31),
p. 22, pl. ix. 12.
J. Frei, Roman Portraits in the J . Paul Getty Museum, exh. cat.
(Tulsa, Oklahoma, Philbrook Art Center, and Malibu, The
J. Paul Getty Museum, 1981), p. 120.
Since few terracotta votives preserve pigmentation to this
degree, it is instructive that the illness is not indicated in relief
but in paint.
Riis, Tyrrhenika, pl. 2.2; Riis, Etruscan Heads, Caeretan type
22D; R. Mengarelli, " I I tempio del Manganello a Caere,"
StEtr 9 (1935), pl. 19.4; M . D. Gentili, "Deposito votivo del
tempio del Manganello a Cerveteri," Santuari dEtruria (above,
note 4), p. 152, fig. 8.1 Β 2; Frei (above, note 35), p. 15;
Cornelia, 77 deposito (above, note 3), pp. 63-64, pl. 23a.
The example in Capua is listed as the head of a youth. See
Bonghijovino (above, note 30), p. 121, pl. L v n . 3 .
M . Bonghi Jovino, Capua preromana: Terrecotte votive, vol. 2
(Florence, 1971), pp. 75-76, pl. X L I I . I , 2; Cristofani (above,
note 31), pl. 70; J. M . Blazquez, "Terracotas de santuario de
Cales (Calvi), Campania," Zephyrus 12 (1961), fig. 14; M . P.
Baglione, 77 territorio di Bomarzo (Rome, 1976), pl. C I V . B 3 ; La
Regina, figs. 312-313, C115, C119; Vagnetti (above, note 21),
pl. xix.Bm; Siena, Museo Archeologico 37836. These styl
istically related examples have been variously dated from the
third to the beginning of the first century B . C .
See M . Rizzello, 7" santuari della media valle del Liri iv-i sec. a.C.
(Sora, 1980), figs. 75-76.
G. Daltrop and F. Roncalli, The Vatican Museums (Florence,
1985), p. 61; S. Karouzou, National Museum (Athens, 1985),
p. 86, no. 3335.
42. Riis, Etruscan Heads, Capuan type 15E; M . Bonghi Jovino,
"Problemi di artigianato dell'Italia preromana," Archaeological
Scritti in onore di Aldo Neppi Modona (Florence, 1975), p. 35,
figs. 1-3; Rizzello (above, note 40), p. 13; A. Z. Gallina, in
Assessorato antichitä, Roma medio repubblicana, exh. cat. (Rome,
Antiquarium Comunale, 1973), pp. 321-324, pis. L X I I - L X V .
43. Bonghijovino (above, note 30), pp. 49-50, pl. xvi. 1-3.
44. G. Kaschnitz-Weinberg, "Ritratti fittili etruschi e romani dal
sec. III al I a.C," in RendPontAcc (1925), pp. 334-335, figs. 1, 2;
Cristofani (above, note 31), pl. 125; M . Bieber, The Sculpture of
the Hellenistic Age (New York, 1955), pp. 91-92, fig. 344.
45. Nagy, figs. 42, 48, 51, 52, 54, 60, 61, 66; Gallina (above,
note 42), pis. L X I I - L X I V ; F. Rossi, "Un gruppo di terrecotte
votive da Lucera," ArchCl 32 (1980), pl. xxix.
46. L. D. Caskey, "Greek Terra-Cottas from Tarentum," BMFA 29
(1931), p. 17, fig. 1; Gallina (above, note 42), p. 324; Nagy,
pp. 18—19; Rossi (above, note 45), pp. 82—84.
47. Vagnetti (above, note 21), p. 87, pl. X L V i i . M i . a .
48. Blagg (above, note 13), pp. 41-46; M . Guarducci, "L'Isola
Tiberina e la sua tradizione ospitalieri," RendLinc 26 (1971),
p. 274. Social change occurred with the rising power of Rome.
The aristocracy became the patrons of the sanctuaries of the
kourotrophos. The same aristocracy began to limit family size
through the abandonment or exposure of children to protect
the family wealth. See J. Boswell, The Kindness of Strangers:
The Abandonment of Children in Western Europe from Late Antiq
uity to the Renaissance (New York, 1988).
49. Cornelia, "Tipologia" (above, note 3), p. 763. In some cases
the appearance of bambini in fasce within votive deposits corre
sponds to an elevation in the number of votive uteri found in
the same deposits and may coincide with a stress on maternity
and fertility at these sites. At other sites, such as the Porta
Caere at Veii, a concentration of votive genitalia is present in
the deposits, but examples of bambini in fasce are absent.
The almost total lack of signs indicating disease may be
partially explained by the Getty votive head 7 5 . A D . 103
(fig. 12). Very few heads or bambini retain pigmentation to the
degree seen in the Getty head. If the practice was to represent
signs of illness in paint, these signs are now lost along with
the original pigmentation; however many heads and bambini
were only coated with slip and never painted.
50. Fridh-Haneson (above, note 4), pp. 62-64, 82; W. K. C.
Guthrie, Orpheus and Greek Religion (New York, 1966), p. 173;
Blagg (above, note 13), p. 41.
51. I . A. Richmond, Archaeology and the After-Life in Pagan and
Christian Imagery (New York, 1950), p. 41.
52. Τ. H. Price, Kourotrophos: Cults and Representations of the Greek
Nursing Deities (Leiden, 1978), pp. 166, 173-174. FridhHaneson points out the bond between the Orphic statuettes of
Southern Italy and Etruscan and Latian terracottas. She links
these works together as expressions of religious ideas belong
ing to the same cult. See Fridh-Haneson (above, note 4), p. 63.
33
Ein Terrakottarelief mit Sphinx und Greif
ANGELIKA
DIERICHS
I m Jahre 1979 übereignete ein privater Spender d e m
A L L G E M E I N E S Z U S P H I N X U N D GREIF I N
J. Paul G e t t y M u s e u m ein Terrakottarelief m i t S p h i n x
ARCHAISCHER ZEIT
u n d Greif, das i m Folgenden besprochen w e r d e n soll
(Abb. i a - c ) .
1
D i e B r e i t e des Exponats beträgt 17,5 c m , seine
H ö h e 10,3 c m u n d seine Stärke 1,8 c m . Es ist unge
brochen
m i t originalen Rändern
orangefarbenem,
und
besteht
aus
g l i m m e r h a l t i g e m T o n , m i t gleich
m ä ß i g e m beigefarbenen U b e r z u g a u f Vorderseite u n d
Rändern.
Seine Rückseite ist rauh. D i e Reliefhöhe
variiert. So w ö l b t sich die Hüfte der S p h i n x höher a u f
als K o p f u n d B r u s t . D i e Gestalt des Greifen erscheint
gleich hoch reliefiert. N u r sein K n a u f u n d
Schwanz
sind erhabener. A n den höchsten Stellen des Reliefs ist
der
Uberzug
sprüngliche
abgerieben.
Bemalung
Anzeichen
fehlen.
für
eine
ur
D i e Vorderseite
der
Platte w ö l b t sich, zwischen 2,5 m m u n d 3 m m v o m
äußeren Rand bis z u m Z e n t r u m , k a u m m e r k l i c h auf.
L ö c h e r i n der l i n k e n u n d rechten oberen Ecke,
die zur Befestigung gedient haben m ö g e n , sind m i t
Gips verschlossen.
Weitere I n f o r m a t i o n e n zu d e m Tonrelief, etwa zu
F u n d o r t , ursprünglicher V e r w e n d u n g ,
künstlerischer
Provenienz fehlen, so daß es hier nach i k o n o g r a p h i schen u n d stilistischen Aspekten beurteilt werden muß.
B E S C H R E I B U N G DES T E R R A K O T T A R E L I E F S
S p h i n x u n d G r e i f gehören zu den üblichen D a r s t e l
l u n g s i n h a l t e n des griechischen Kunstschaffens
scher
Zeit.
abstrakten
Ihre
natürlichen,
Bestandteile
archai
phantastischen
machen
sie zu
Wesen m i t vielschichtiger B e d e u t u n g .
und
rätselhaften
6
I n der F u n k t i o n als Wächter haben sie u n h e i l a b
wehrende Kraft. So begegnen uns Sphingen an Grabein
7
g ä n g e n u n d Greifen a u f Sarkophagen.
Bedeutung
Gefäße
11
verzierten
und
sie
8
I n verwandter
Rüstungen,
Schmuckstücke,
12
9
die den
Geräte,
Lebenden
dienten oder den Verstorbenen als Grabbeigaben
gleiteten.
Eine klare T r e n n u n g
des
10
be
apotropäischen
v o m todesdämonischen M a c h t b e r e i c h ist n i c h t z w i n
gend,
w e i l beide W i r k u n g s w e i s e n eng
miteinander
verknüpft sind. D i e direkte todesdämonische Aufgabe
der Sphinx, nämlich als K e r
13
die getöteten K r i e g e r i n
den Hades zu geleiten, verrichtet der G r e i f nicht.
I n der Vasenmalerei archaischer Z e i t k o m m e n
S p h i n x u n d G r e i f n u r vereinzelt i n m y t h o l o g i s c h e m
K o n t e x t vor. Z u w e i l e n f i n d e n w i r die das Rätsel auf
gebende thebanische S p h i n x ,
maspen
bekämpfenden
erscheinen H e r m e s
16
14
seltener den die A r i -
Greifen.
oder Boreas
17
15
Ausnahmsweise
i m Bildzusammen
hang m i t Sphingen u n d Greifen. O f t hingegen b i l d e n
Sphinx bzw. G r e i f die einzige figürliche D e k o r a t i o n
2
Dargestellt ist eine S p h i n x , M i s c h w e s e n aus Frauen
3
k o p f u n d geflügeltem Löwenkörper, gegenüber einem
Greifen,
4
Phantasiegeschöpf aus R a u b v o g e l k o p f u n d
einer Vase.
Tierfriese.
18
19
U n g l e i c h häufiger n o c h b e v ö l k e r n sie die
I n diesen für die archaische Z e i t typischen
U m z ü g e n aus T i e r e n u n d Fabelwesen,
die n i c h t n u r
geflügeltem Löwenkörper. Beide Fabelwesen sind annä
als Verzierung zu verstehen sind, sondern denen darü
hernd gleich groß. Sie blicken einander an, schreiten i n
berhinaus ein r i t u e l l e r G e d a n k e
identisch starrer H a l t u n g aufeinander zu u n d berühren
5
d u n g zu G o t t h e i t e n
21
zugrunde
20
u n d eine V e r b i n
liegen, heben sich
sich j e w e i l s an der rechten V o r d e r p f o t e . S p h i n x u n d
Sphingen- u n d Greifenpaare d u r c h ihre antithetische
G r e i f b i l d e n so eine antithetische Z w e i e r g r u p p e . Ihre
K o m p o s i t i o n heraldisch h e r v o r .
heraldische Geschlossenheit verstärkt sich d u r c h d ü n
ordnen
sich auch
ne, waagerechte D o p p e l w ü l s t e bzw. E i n k e r b u n g e n , die
ein.
Standlinie u n d obere B e g r e n z u n g der F i g u r e n b i l d e n .
G r e i f derartig
2 3
22
Sphinx bzw. G r e i f
gleichberechtigt
i n den
Tierfries
Des öfteren ist die Gestaltung v o n S p h i n x u n d
ähnlich,
daß
man
bei
beschädigter
34
Dierichs
A B B .
ia
Terrakottarelief. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum 79. A D . 195.
A B B .
ib
Sphinx des Terrakottareliefs, Abb. ia.
Ein Terrakottarelief
ABB.
mit Sphinx und Greif
35
IC
Greif des Terrakottareliefs, Abb. ia.
Kopfpartie n i c h t erkennen k a n n , ob es sich u m eine
S p h i n x oder einen Greifen h a n d e l t .
w e n n g l e i c h seine Fabelwesen i n anderer A n o r d n u n g
wiedergegeben
24
sind. Leider ist die profilansichtige
S p h i n x so schlecht erhalten, daß sich k a u m E i n z e l h e i
ten ablesen lassen. A b e r da die senkrechte
V E R W A N D T E DARSTELLUNGEN A U F TONRELIEFS
D i e meisten archaischen S p h i n g e n - u n d Greifendar
stellungen s i n d a u f Vasen erhalten, aber m e h r oder
m i n d e r häufig treffen w i r sie i n allen K u n s t g a t t u n g e n .
B e i dieser starken V e r b r e i t u n g w u n d e r t es n u n sehr,
daß antithetische Paare aus S p h i n x u n d Greif, w i e a u f
d e m R e l i e f i n M a l i b u , i n der mutterländischen
und
großgriechischen Reliefplastik äußerst selten v o r k o m
m e n . L e t z t l i c h lassen sich n u r w e n i g e Parallelen a u f
Tonreliefs f i n d e n .
furche
zwei
F o r m t e i l e dieses Pinax
Mittel
verrät,
ist
es
m e t h o d i s c h vertretbar, auch Einzeldarstellungen v o n
Sphingen bzw. Greifen a u f kretischen T e r r a k o t t a v o t i ven
2 6
zu vergleichen.
D i e beiden
Fabelwesen
des
M a l i b u - R e l i e f s unterscheiden sich erheblich v o n allen
kretischen Sphingen u n d Greifen. Letztere,
meistens
i n stärkerem Relief, haben eine schlankere H i n t e r
hand u n d sind hochbeiniger. Sie zeigen
schmalere,
spitzer auslaufende, zuweilen k a u m g e k r ü m m t e Sichel
flügel m i t sparsamer Innengliederung. Diese Details
bedingen eine hieratische Strenge, die i m Gegensatz
Kretisches Weihrelief m i t Sphinx und Greif
zu der felinen Gespanntheit v o n S p h i n x u n d G r e i f i n
aus Praisos
M a l i b u steht.
uns
D i e Hälse der Greifen aus Praisos sind wesent
schreitende Greifen u n d Sphingen i m 7. Jahrhundert.
l i c h dünner als b e i m M a l i b u - G r e i f e n . U n d anstelle
A u f kretischen Reliefpinakes aus T o n begegnen
N a h e v e r w a n d t ist ein V o t i v aus Praisos (Abb. 2 ) ,
2 5
ihrer
kräftigen,
frei
schwebenden
Locke, die
den
36
Dierichs
2
ABB.
Weihrelief aus Praisos. Agios Nikolaos, Archäologisches Museum 1668 (nach Reed, Taf. 82).
R a u m z w i s c h e n Hals u n d F l ü g e l m i t einer
Einrollung
ausfüllt,
hat
der
großen
Malibu-Greif
eine
unscheinbare Locke, die der H a l s k o n t u r aufliegt u n d
In
den
kretischen
Sphingengesichtern
32
sind
S t i r n , A u g e n , Nase, M u n d , K i n n , Wangen u n d O h r
parataktisch
m o d e l l i e r t . Dieses
stilistische P r i n z i p ,
i n einer bescheidenen V o l u t e oberhalb des F l ü g e l a n
das für Enface- u n d P r o f i l d a r s t e l l u n g e n gleicherma
satzes endet.
ßen g i l t , b e w i r k t einen d ä m o n i s c h starren A u s d r u c k .
A u c h die Kopfdetails s t i m m e n n i c h t überein.
B e i der M a l i b u - S p h i n x h i n g e g e n hat der K o r o p l a s t die
Während sich der Oberschnabel b e i m M a l i b u - G r e i f e n
einzelnen Teile des Gesichts übergangslos m i t e i n a n d e r
i n e i n e m sanften H ö c k e r v o m O b e r k o p f abhebt, ver
v e r b u n d e n u n d i h r so n i c h t die furchterregende A u s
schmelzen b e i den Greifen aus Praisos Schädelpartie
strahlung eines Ungeheuers, sondern allenfalls die rät
u n d oberer Schnabel zu einer W ö l b u n g , die sich w i e
selhaften Z ü g e eines Frauengesichts
eine Fortsetzung des zarten geschwungenen
ausnimmt.
der
Spitzes
doppelte,
Ohr,
großes
vegetabilisch
D e r K o p f der M a l i b u - S p h i n x läßt sich also n i c h t
und
m i t den kretischen S p h i n g e n k ö p f e n v e r b i n d e n , die
des
sich der dädalischen Plastik des 7. Jahrhunderts einfü
Mandelauge
stilisierte
Knauf
M a l i b u - G r e i f e n haben keine Parallele a u f kretischen
gen.
Tonpinakes.
dädalischen Z e i t
D i e dädalischen Frisuren zahlreicher
aus G o r t y n
2 7
oder L a t o
2 8
Sphingen
m i t i h r e n steif u n d e i n h e i t
l i c h arrangierten H a a r k o m p a r t i m e n t e n sowie die mas
sigen,
schwer
a u f Hals
und
Brust
herabfallenden
Haarsträhnen der Sphingen aus Praisos
29
gegeben.
Halses
unterschei
33
Sogar die j ü n g s t e n w e i b l i c h e n K ö p f e der spätum
625 v . C h r . w i r k e n
noch
zu
altertümlich, u m m i t der S p h i n x i n M a l i b u a u f eine
Stufe gestellt zu werden.
A u c h ein bekanntes, kretisches T o n v o t i v des 7.
Jahrhunderts aus G o r t y n ,
zwischen ansteigenden
3 4
a u f d e m der H e r r der Tiere
Greifen dargestellt ist, zeigt
den sich v o n der gefälliger u n d k l e i n t e i l i g e r geordne
einen gänzlich anderen Stil als das M a l i b u - R e l i e f u n d
ten Haartracht der M a l i b u - S p h i n x .
w e i c h t ebenfalls i n seiner i k o n o g r a p h i s c h e n F o r m e n
A u f den kretischen Pinakes findet sich n u r selten
die g l o c k e n f ö r m i g ausschwingende
der
Sphinx i n Malibu.
Kopfbekrönung
U n d einzelne
30
Kopflocken,
desgleichen H a a r b ä n d e r bzw. Poloi kretischer S p h i n
gen
31
erscheinen
Malibu-Sphinx.
wesentlich
strenger
als
bei
der
sprache v o n diesem ab.
D i e durchgeführten
Terrakottavotiven
35
Vergleiche m i t kretischen
erlauben s o m i t die Feststellung:
Unsere Spinx-Greif-Platte i n M a l i b u ist k e i n k r e t i
sches W e i h r e l i e f des 7. Jahrhunderts.
37
Kretische Reliefgefäße mit Sphingen und Greifen
D a die Fabelwesen
v o n parallelen L i n i e n
begrenzt
werden, könnte m a n versucht sein, die Terrakotta
platte als Teilabdruck bzw. A u s s c h n i t t v o n
einem
G e f ä ß zu verstehen, der als P i n a x aufgehängt w u r d e .
Sphingen u n d Greifen k o m m e n zwar zahlreich
a u f kretischer Reliefikeramik vor. Z u w e i l e n durchaus
vereint a m gleichen G e f ä ß ( A b b . 3 ) ,
3 6
stehen sie sich
aber niemals i n direkter heraldischer A n o r d n u n g gegen
über. Meistens sind sie i n m e t o p e n a r t i g e n Feldern der
Hals-
oder
Bauchzone
der
Vase
angesiedelt.
Die
S p h i n x erscheint allein oder antithetisch zu einer A r t
genossin, der G r e i f ausschließlich allein. D i e meisten
Sphingen a u f A m p h o r e n u n d P i t h o i des 7. J a h r h u n
derts ähneln i n i h r e r ikonographischen
Formensprache
denen der Pinakes (s.O.). S o m i t läßt sich keine auffäl
lige Verwandtschaft zwischen der M a l i b u - S p h i n x u n d
i h r e n Schwestern a u f den reliefierten Tonvasen
fest
stellen. U n d der altertümliche K o p f t y p u s der Greifen
mit
w u l s t i g e n Schnabelteilen,
breiten
Zahnreihen,
fleischiger Z u n g e , k u g e l a r t i g e m A u g e u n d p o l o s ä h n l i
chem K o p f s c h m u c k
37
hat nichts m i t d e m
Malibu-
Greifen gemein.
Aus diesen Beobachtungen ist zu folgern: Das
E x p o n a t i m J. Paul G e t t y M u s e u m k a n n n i c h t i m
Zusammenhang
m i t einem
kretischen
Reliefgefäß
gesehen werden.
Sizilische Relieftafel m i t Sphinx und Greif
aus Himera
Abgesehen
von dem
oben
diskutierten Votiv
aus
Praisos (Abb. 2) g i b t es n o c h ein weiteres gattungsver
wandtes D e n k m a l m i t S p h i n x u n d Greif, das sich d e m
M a l i b u - R e l i e f vergleichen läßt. E i n e i n H i m e r a gefun
dene, sizilische
38
Terrakottatafel
39
aus d e m B e g i n n des
A B B .
3
Reliefamphora. Basel, Antikenmuseum BS 607.
6. Jahrhunderts zeigt ebenfalls S p h i n x u n d G r e i f i n
antithetischer Position ( A b b . 4).
I m Gegensatz zu den Stücken i n M a l i b u u n d
entspricht
ungefähr
der
querrechteckigen
Ausdeh
40
A g i o s N i k o l a o s ( A b b . 2) w i r k t ihre W a p p e n f o r m a t i o n
n u n g des M a l i b u - R e l i e f s u n d liegt desgleichen z w i
j e d o c h aufgelockert, b e d i n g t d u r c h das u n t e r s c h i e d l i
schen h o r i z o n t a l e n L i n i e n .
che
Haltungsschema
der
Fabelwesen.
schreitet nach rechts a u f die nach l i n k s
Der
Greif
gewendete,
Die
aufgezeigten
Ubereinstimmungen
sollen
keinesfalls überbewertet werden. A b e r sie dürfen d e n
sitzende S p h i n x zu. Letztere erscheint d o m i n i e r e n d e r
noch A n s t o ß sein, unser s c h w i e r i g zu
als i h r Partner, ist sie sitzend doch ebenso groß g e b i l
Stück i n M a l i b u a u f eine m ö g l i c h e sizilische Prove
det w i e der schreitende Greif. Diese H e r v o r h e b u n g
nienz h i n abzutasten.
entspricht d e m R e l i e f i n M a l i b u , a u f d e m die S p h i n x
Gestaltung
von
Sphingen-
und
beurteilendes
Greifenkopf,
den Greifen u m ein V i e r t e l ihrer K o p f h ö h e überragt
heraldische G r u p p i e r u n g der Mischwesen,
u n d sich z u d e m n o c h d u r c h i h r e n ü p p i g e n
tige Gespanntheit
Kopf
schmuck auszeichnet.
Das B i l d f e l d der beiden M i s c h w e s e n aus H i m e r a
katzenar
i h r e r H a l t u n g , sorgfältige I n n e n
zeichnung v o n B r u s t u n d Gefieder sowie der elegante
S c h w u n g der
Schwänze sprechen n i c h t gegen
eine
38
Dierichs
D a t i e r u n g der M a l i b u - P l a t t e ins i . Jahrzehnt des 6.
Jahrhunderts, die für das R e l i e f aus H i m e r a a l l g e m e i n h i n vorgeschlagen w i r d .
4 1
Trotz dieser zeitstilistischen
Parallelen v e r t r i t t das M a l i b u - R e l i e f keineswegs
sizilische
Formensprache
des
Stückes
in
42
47
die m i t den v o n M . B o r d a bear
beiteten Fragmenten i n Z u s a m m e n h a n g stehen k ö n n
die
ten, ergeben auch k e i n e n ikonographisch-stilistischen
Palermo
Gleichklang m i t unserem Relief, u m es als t a r e n t i n i -
(Abb. 4). I n E r m a n g e l u n g v o n geeigneten sizilischen
Greifendarstellungen
Z w e i Friesstücke m i t Greifenvögeln u n d geflügel
ten M e e r m ä n n e r n ,
läßt sich das a m besten v o m
sche A r b e i t m i t kretischen bzw. k o r i n t h i s c h e n Z ü g e n
zu klassifizieren.
Sphingengesicht a u f der Platte aus H i m e r a ablesen. Es
ist eine grob modellierte fleischige Masse. D e r Brauen
b o g e n erscheint
formt.
unpräzise aus d e m T o n herausge
Ausdruckslos bleibt der mittelgroße
Mund.
D i e beutelähnliche Haarmasse führt i h r Eigenleben.
Ganz andere Stilzüge charakterisieren den K o p f der
S p h i n x i n M a l i b u . D i e E i n z e l f o r m e n ihres
vereinen
sich straff ohne
hager zu w i r k e n .
Wölbungen,
D e r Brauenbogen
Gesichts
ohne
dabei
ist als
feiner
W u l s t aufgelegt, genau so w i e die L i d u m r a n d u n g der
A u g e n . E r n s t bleibt der kleine M u n d m i t den feinen
Lippen.
D i e Haare,
differenziert u n t e r t e i l t ,
setzen
annähernd die Reliefebene des Gesichts fort. B e d i n g t
d u r c h die A u s g e w o g e n h e i t v o n zierlichen Details u n d
sanft gestufter H ö h e des Reliefs w i r k t der K o p f der
M a l i b u - S p h i n x beinahe zerbrechlich. Seine stilistische
Qualität
übertrifft
nicht nur
das
Pendant a u f der
Himera-Platte, sondern auch die m . E. einzigen ver
gleichbaren sizilischen Reliefsphingen des frühen 6.
Jahrhunderts aus C a l t a g i r o n e ,
43
die i n i h r e m k o r i n t h i -
Tonplatte aus S. Lorenzo del Vallo
Ein
weiteres,
dem
Malibu-Relief
vergleichbares
D e n k m a l ist eine Tonplatte aus S. Lorenzo del V a l l o .
48
Sie zeigt u . a. eine sitzende S p h i n x m i t e r h o b e n e m
Vorderbein g e g e n ü b e r e i n e m schreitenden
Greifen.
Alle
Crotone
Darstellungen
a u f diesem
Relief i n
offenbaren eine M i s c h u n g v o n griechischem,
groß
griechischem, etruskischem u n d i n d o g e n e m F o r m e n
gut,
4 9
das sich bei den Fabelwesen i n M a l i b u n i c h t
feststellen läßt.
S o m i t ist festzuhalten: M i t d e m kretischen V o t i v
aus Praisos ( A b b . 2), der sizilischen Tafel aus H i m e r a
(Abb.
4),
(Abb.
den
Fragmenten
tarentinischer
Gefäße
5, 6) u n d d e m R e l i e f aus S. L o r e n z o del Vallo
erschöpfen sich die w e n i g e n D e n k m ä l e r m i t Sphingen
bzw.
Greifen, die unserem E x p o n a t i n M a l i b u gat
t u n g s v e r w a n d t sind, ohne seine künstlerische Prove
nienz b e s t i m m t zu haben.
sierenden D u k t u s keine Ä h n l i c h k e i t m i t der M a l i b u VERWANDTE DARSTELLUNGEN AUF BRONZEARBEITEN
S p h i n x verraten.
D i e metallhafte Finesse, m i t der K ö p f e u n d F l ü g e l der
Fabelwesen i m M a l i b u - R e l i e f ( A b b . i b , c) gestaltet
Fragmente tarentinischer Reliefgefäße
W e n n die Teilanalyse der Terrakottaplatte aus H i m e r a
(Abb.
4) ergeben hat, daß Sizilien als k u n s t t o p o g r a
phische H e i m a t unseres Reliefs ausscheidet,
könnte
m a n diese n o c h i m übrigen griechischen Westen, i n
Unteritalien,
suchen.
Vergleichs geeignet
sind z w e i
Fragmente archaischer Reliefgefäße, die M . B o r d a
4 4
sind, erinnert d e u t l i c h an die präzise Detailausarbei
tung
toreutischer
Ein Bruchstück (Abb. 5 )
Tatbestand
tierte oder vielleicht sogar eine qualitätvolle B r o n z e
f o r m für seine Schöpfung benutzte.
a u f g r u n d i h r e r H e r k u n f t u n d Tonqualität für t a r e n t i -
4 5
Dieser
l i e f an Bronzearbeiten orientierte bzw. dieselben i m i
Korinthische Bronzearbeiten
nisch hält u n d bezüglich B i l d t h e m a t i k u n d A u s f ü h
r u n g i n die 2. Hälfte des 7. Jahrhunderts datiert.
Erzeugnisse.
macht wahrscheinlich, daß der Koroplast sein T o n r e
Archaische B r o n z e f o r m e n , die als M a t r i z e n für T o n
m i t einer schreitenden
S p h i n x ist k r e t i s c h beeinflußt. Das andere ( A b b . 6 )
4 6
abzüge gedient haben können, sind selten erhalten.
Das hier i n A b b . 7 wiedergegebene
Stück aus K o r f u
k o r i n t h i s c h geprägte, zeigt außer T i e r e n den Rest
bezeugt
eines Greifenkopfes. D i e D a r s t e l l u n g e n sind, ähnlich
v.Chr.
wie
der j e d o c h i m Wesentlichen ohne stilistische u n d f o r
im
begrenzt.
Malibu-Relief, durch
waagerechte
Linien
A b e r t r o t z dieser gewissen U b e r e i n s t i m
m u n g e n gehört unsere Sphinx-Greif-Platte n i c h t zu
einer tarentinischen D e n k m ä l e r g r u p p e . Das
machen
5 0
protokorinthisches
Kunstschaffen
um
650
I n e i n e m B i l d f e l d ist e i n G r e i f zu erkennen,
male Parallelen zu demjenigen i n M a l i b u bleibt.
Alle
anderen,
m i r bekannten
Sphingen
und
Greifen a u f k o r i n t h i s c h e n Bronzearbeiten des 7. u n d
Detailvergleiche d e u t l i c h , die anhand der A b b . ia,c, 5
6. Jahrhunderts,
u n d 6 leicht realisierbar sind.
E i n g r e n z u n g unseres Reliefs herangezogen
51
die für
die
kunsttopographische
werden
A B B .
39
4
Terrakottarelief aus Himera. Palermo, Museo Nazionale H.63.7836
(nach N . Boncasa, ASAtene 45-46, n.s. 29-30 [1967-1968], 306,
Abb. 4).
A B B .
5
Fragment eines Reliefgefäßes. Amsterdam, Allard Pierson
Museum 2697.
A B B .
6
Fragment eines Reliefgefäßes. Bonn, Akademisches Kunstmuseum
D 25876.
40
Dierichs
A B B .
7
Bronzeform aus Korfu. Oxford, Ashmolean Museum G.437.
A B B .
8
Bronzeblech aus Eleutherai. London, Britisches Museum.
Ein
Terrakottarelief
41
könnten, s t i m m e n z w a r z u w e i l e n i m G r u n d t y p u s u n d
i n diversen t y p o l o g i s c h e n Details m i t den
Malibu-
Fabelwesen überein, aber i n i h r e n E i n z e l f o r m e n sind
sie steifer erfaßt. E i n e gewisse stilistische S p r ö d i g k e i t
b i n d e t sie an i h r e n Bildträger. Das g i l t n i c h t n u r für
die
antithetischen Paare männlicher
Sphingen
und
Greifen a u f e i n e m B l e c h aus Eleutherai ( A b b . 8 ) ,
5 2
sondern auch für die Sphingenwappen der k o r i n t h i s c h
argivischen
Schildbänder,
53
deren
heraldisch
grup
pierte Sphingen unauflöslich m i t e i n a n d e r v e r b u n d e n
sind u n d z u w e i l e n w i e verschweißt m i t i h r e m M i t t e l
ornament w i r k e n ( A b b . 9 ) .
5 4
Besonders diese feste Z e n t r i e r u n g i m Wappen,
die als auffälliger S t i l z u g j a ebenso die k o r i n t h i s c h e
Vasenmalerei
55
durchzieht, scheint m i r eine A b h ä n
g i g k e i t des M a l i b u - R e l i e f s v o n k o r i n t h i s c h e n B r o n
zearbeiten auszuschließen.
Kretische Bronzerüstungen
Der Terrakottaplatte i n M a l i b u ( A b b . i a - c ) mangelt es
ferner an einer Verwandtschaft zu D a r s t e l l u n g e n a u f
kretischen B r o n z e n . Das offenbaren beispielsweise die
feingliedrigen Greifen a u f e i n e m kretischen Panzer aus
5 6
Arkades ( A b b . 1 0 ) oder die u n b e w e g l i c h w i r k e n d e n
Sphingen a u f einer kretischen M i t r a .
5 7
Ostgriechische Bronzebleche
Recht
g u t vergleichen läßt
sich das
Malibu-Relief
hingegen m i t ostgriechischen Bronzeblechen. Es ist
angemessen, hier zunächst die w e i t gefaßte k u n s t t o
ABB.
9
Ausgewählte Sphingenwappen von Schildbandreliefs (Zeichnung
und Datierung nach E. Kunze, OlForsch 2 [1950]).
pographische B e n e n n u n g , , o s t g r i e c h i s c h " zu w ä h l e n ,
weil
auch
genauere
Bleche
herangezogen
künstlerische
werden,
Provenienz
deren
innerhalb
des
Z w i s c h e n den angeführten Blechen u n d unse
ostgriechischen Raums n o c h n i c h t festliegt.
Folgende Bronzebleche aus O l y m p i a bieten sich
a u f g r u n d ih r e r ähnlichen Darstellungsinhalte für V e r
gleiche m i t der Tonplatte i m J. Paul G e t t y M u s e u m an:
N r . 1. Potnia-Greifen-Blech (Abb.
Ii)
rem
T o n r e l i e f g i b t es eine Reihe interessanter U b e r
einstimmungen.
Auch
Größe
erscheinen eine Potnia T h e r o n , Herakles u n d der K e n
der D a r s t e l l u n g .
5 9
E i n G r e i f schreitet nach l i n k s a u f e i n vegetabilisches
O r n a m e n t zu.
6 2
ihre B i l d f e l d e r
sind v o n
ähnlicher
u n d verjüngen sich leicht z u m oberen R a n d
n i c h t v o l l k o m m e n identisch. Dieser B e f u n d läßt sich
einfach festschreiben. Faltet m a n n ä m l i c h eine Z e i c h
n u n g m i t den H a u p t r e l i e f l i n i e n der Greifen senkrecht
N r . 3. S p h i n g e n - W i d d e r - B l e c h ( A b b . 1 3 )
Sphingen,
zu
Seiten
eines
60
Voluten
N r . 4. Greifen-Reiher-Blech ( A b b . 14)
heraldisches
61
Greifenpaar u m f ä n g t einen Reiher
u n d w i r d v o n Sphingen eingeschlossen.
i n der M i t t e , dann decken sich die L i n i e n nicht, son
dern variieren g e r i n g f ü g i g i n i h r e m Verlauf. K a u m
m e r k l i c h e A b w e i c h u n g e n v o n der Achsialsymmetrie,
baumes, w e r d e n v o n W i d d e r n gerahmt.
Ein
antithetischen
D i e so gleich aussehenden Greifen i n N r . 1 sind
N r . 2 . Blech m i t schreitendem Greifen (Abb. 1 2 )
Antithetische
die
Greifen des Potnia-Greifen-Blechs N r . 1 ( A b b . 11)
I n vier B i l d f e l d e r n , v o n u n t e n nach oben angeordnet,
taur, antithetische Greifen, drei Adler.
erscheinen
zwischen waagerechten L i n i e n w i e die Fabelwesen i n
Malibu.
5 8
So
die bei A b b . 15a zwischen U m r i ß z e i c h n u n g u n d S i l
houette sichtbar gemacht w e r d e n , scheinen m i r m i t
v e r a n t w o r t l i c h zu sein für jenes , , S c h w i m m e n des
42
A B B .
Dierichs
10
Bronzepanzer aus Arkades. Hamburg, Museum für Kunst und
Gewerbe 1970.26a.
A B B .
Bildes" i m umgebenden R a u m ,
6 3
das als C h a r a k t e r i
I I
Bronzeblech aus Olympia. Athen, National
museum B.6444 (nach Furtwängler, Olympia,
Taf. 38).
s t i k u m für D a r s t e l l u n g e n a u f ostgriechischen Blechen
g i l t . Dieses P h ä n o m e n t r i f f t auch für die K ö r p e r der
Fabelwesen
in Malibu
O b g l e i c h eingebunden
form,"
6 4
zu,
w i e A b b . 15b
belegt.
i n die ,,symmetrische
Bild
r u h e n sie frei a u f d e m sie hinterfangenden
Reliefgrund.
D i e Greifen i n B l e c h N r . 1 ( A b b . 11) u n d der
G r e i f a u f der Terrakottaplatte sind reinster o s t g r i e c h i
scher P r ä g u n g m i t d e m i h n e n e i g e n t ü m l i c h e n K o p f
65
t y p u s : D i e Schädelkontur bleibt relativ flach.
gerundet
n e i g t sich die vordere Spitze des
Sanft
oberen
Schnabels, bevor sie sich h a k i g abwärts senkt.
Das
mäßig hochgezogene O h r k n i c k t leicht nach v o r n oder
h i n t e n ab. Fast b i l d e t es eine E i n h e i t m i t d e m linear
angelegten Halspolster. D i e üblicherweise spannungs
v o l l z u m Oberschnabel weisende Z u n g e fehlt b e i m
M a l i b u - G r e i f e n . M a n könnte sie sich gemalt d e n k e n .
E i n e weitere bezeichnende Parallele
66
zwischen
N r . 1 u n d d e m R e l i e f des J. Paul G e t t y M u s e u m s ver
raten die K ö p f e v o n Potnia T h e r o n u n d Sphinx. E i n
B l i c k a u f die A b b . i b u n d 11 zeigt, daß Gesichts- u n d
K o p f p r o p o r t i o n e n annähernd ü b e r e i n s t i m m e n . G ö t t i n
u n d S p h i n x tragen e i n Haarband. F ü r beide läßt sich
A B B .
12
Bronzeblech aus Olympia. Olympia, Museum B.4347. Photo:
H.-V. Herrmann, DAI, Athen, Nr. OL. 4661.
Ein
ABB.
Terrakottarelief
43
13
Bronzeblech aus Olympia. Olympia, Museum B.4348. Photo: H.-V. Herrmann, DAI, Athen, Nr. OL.4662.
ABB.
14
Bronzeblech aus Olympia. Olympia, Museum B.165 (nach E. Kunze und H. Schleif, OlBer 2 [1938], Taf. 55).
jene ostgriechische H a a r s t i l i s i e r u n g
der das H a u p t v o n
fließenden,
67
beobachten,
rieselnden
bei
Strähnen
N r . 4 galt bislang a l l g e m e i n h i n als protokorinthisches
Werk.
Es einer
ostgriechischen
Bronzeblechgruppe
einzureihen, w ä r e sinnlos. D i e v o n m i r bereits früher,
umspielt w i r d .
D e r G r e i f a u f d e m B l e c h N r . 2 ( A b b . 12) v e r b i n
w e n n auch n u r v o r s i c h t i g geäußerten Z w e i f e l an der
68
det sich m i t d e m des Tonreliefs i n M a l i b u ( A b b . i c )
p r o t o k o r i n t h i s c h e n Faktur des Greifen-Reiher-Blechs
d u r c h den oben beschriebenen ostgriechischen K o p f
haben sich verstärkt. Seine Greifen zeigen e i n d e u t i g
typus. Beide ziert z u d e m eine dünne, i n bescheidener
die
Volute endende Locke, die ohne besondere H e r v o r h e
D i e K o m p o s i t i o n gleicht darüberhinaus d e m Sphingen-
bung
W i d d e r - B l e c h N r . 3 ( A b b . 13), denn so w i e die S p h i n
der
Halsseite
aufliegt
bzw.
die
Halskontur
Charakteristika
ostgriechischer
Greifenbilder.
69
gen dieses Bleches beidseitig a u f den V o l u t e n b a u m
begleitet.
D e r Vergleich v o n S p h i n g e n - W i d d e r - B l e c h N r . 3
zuschreiten,
flankieren
(Abb. 13) u n d der M a l i b u - P l a t t e ergibt eine Parallelität
den Wasservogel.
bezüglich der Sphingen.
und
Soweit das Foto
erkennen
läßt, g i l t das besonders für die nach l i n k s gewendete
70
die Greifen i n N r . 4 ( A b b . 14)
D e r stilisierte B a u m z u m einen
der Vogel z u m anderen schließen die Sphingen
bzw. Greifenpaare zusammen, ohne sie j e d o c h fest m i t
S p h i n x i n N r . 3. Abgesehen v o n P r o f i l , F r i s u r b i l d u n g
dem
u n d oben bereits skizzierter ostgriechischer H a a r s t i l i
U n d t r o t z einer B e g r e n z u n g d u r t h das i h n e n z u g e w i e
entsprechenden M i t t e l o r n a m e n t zu
verketten.
sierung, die vergleichbar sind, fällt ferner auf, daß die
sene B i l d f e l d , das für beide Fabelwesengruppen i n sei
Enden
der
ner V e r j ü n g u n g z u m Ende h i n identisch ist, sind die
betreffenden S p h i n x ähnlich faserig i n die Schuppen
F i g u r e n n i c h t i n e i n e m geschlossenen Achsensystem
der
herabhängenden
Haarsträhnen
bei
gefangen
zone des Flügels übergehen.
Als
weitere
Arbeit
ostgriechischer
Toreuten
möchte i c h das Greifen-Reiher-Blech N r . 4 ( A b b . 14)
der
Das
(Abb.
i n diesem
Zusammenhang
verwundern.
ihre
Verwandten
auf korinthischen
D i e F l ü g e l der Sphingen u n d Greifen, ebenso die
unserer Terrakottaplatte i n M a l i b u zur Seite stellen.
mag
wie
D e n k m ä l e r n (s.O., A b b . 8, 9).
Herrin
der
Tiere
11-14), haben
a u f den
m i t denen
Blechen
Nr.
der Fabelwesen
1-4
in
44
Dierichs
G r e n z l i n i e zwischen Schuppen u n d Gefieder ist sogar
d u r c h drei Reihen kurzer Federn gesäumt, die f i l i g r a n haft a u f den üppig gestalteten Schwungfedern ruh e n.
Solche
Details
Abhängigkeit
Vermutung,
offenbaren
besonders
deutlich
die
u n d stützen
die
möglicherweise
aus
v o n Bronzearbeiten
daß
unser
Relief
einer B r o n z e m a t r i z e herausgedrückt
wurde.
Dieser
Vorgang w ü r d e auch die verunklärte B r u s t s c h u p p u n g
des Greifen u n d seinen i n der M i t t e l z o n e anders gear
teten Flügel erhellen. Letzterer hätte gemäß archai
schen Gestaltungswillens m i t d e m Flügel der S p h i n x
übereinstimmen
n u r bröckelnd
sollen, k a m b e i m A b d r u c k j e d o c h
oder
unscharf u n d wurde
manuell
überarbeitet.
A B B .
15a
E i n weiterer ostgriechischer Z u g , der die Fabel
Greifen des Potnia-Greifen-Blechs (vgl. Abb. 11).
Achsialsymmetrische Abweichungen. Zeich
nung: Tim Seymour nach Original von
A. Dierichs.
wesen der Bleche N r . 1-4 ( A b b . 11-14)
m
i t denen
des M a l i b u - R e l i e f s verbindet, liegt i n der lockeren
72
B e r ü h r u n g an den V o r d e r p f o t e n . Sie n i m m t den heral
dischen G r u p p e n die oben erwähnte starre W a p p e n
f o r m a t i o n vergleichbarer peloponnesischer Denkmäler.
Ostgriechisch sind ferner, s o w o h l bei den B l e
chen N r . 1-4 ( A b b . 11-14) als auch a u f unserer Terra
kottaplatte, die akzentuierte B i l d u n g der Tatzen v o n
T i e r e n bzw. Fabelwesen: Sie manifestiert sich i n w u l
stigen Zehen, leichten Einziehungen zwischen Waden
bein u n d F u ß w u r z e l k n o c h e n , desgleichen i n doppelten
Schrägstrichen an den U n t e r s c h e n k e l n .
73
A l s vorerst letztes ostgriechisches M e r k m a l , das
die n u n mehrfach erwähnten Bleche N r . 1-4 (Abb. 1 1 14) m i t unserem T o n r e l i e f verknüpft, ist die raubkatzenartige Gespanntheit der Fabelwesen zu nennen.
Sie
entsteht aus e i n e m Absenken der B r u s t a u f entspre
chend
verkürzte
Vorderbeine,
einem
z u m Schwanz h i n aufsteigenden
A B B .
walzenförmig
R u m p f u n d einem
d o m i n i e r e n d e n H i n t e r t e i l a u f oft unrealistisch hohen
15b
Körper von Sphinx und Greif des MalibuReliefs. Achsialsymmetrische Abweichungen.
Zeichnung: Tim Seymour nach Original von
A. Dierichs.
Beinen.
74
D i e Bronzearbeit, die der K ü n s t l e r des Exponats
i n M a l i b u kannte, i m i t i e r t e oder vielleicht sogar als
M a t r i z e benutzte,
entstammte
einer
ostgriechischen
Kunstlandschaft. Diese Feststellung läßt sich anhand
der
Malibu
die S t i l i s i e r u n g ostgriechischer Sichelflügel
diskutierten Analogien zwischen
den
ostgrie
chischen Blechen N r . 1-4 ( A b b . 11-14) u n d unserer
g e m e i n : Diese zeigen oft eine s o r g f ä l t i g geschuppte
Sphinx-Greif-Tafel erhärten, so daß i c h m i r die i m a g i
Schulterbahn
näre Bronzearbeit, v o n der das M a l i b u - R e l i e f abhängt,
sowie eine
starke
Endeinkrümmung.
Z u w e i l e n charakterisiert sie auch eine
Besonderheit
ihres Gefieders. So k a n n die Schwungfederbahn
des
i n der A r t des Potnia-Greifen-Blechs N r . 1 ( A b b . 11),
des
Blechs
m i t dem
schreitenden
Greifen N r .
2
Sichelflügels z w e i r e i h i g gebaut sein. Ist das der Fall,
(Abb. 12), des Sphingen-Widder-Blechs N r . 3 (Abb. 13)
schichten sich häufig kürzere Schwungfedern,
u n d des Greifen-Reiher-Blechs N r . 4 ( A b b . 14) er
deren
E n d e n d u r c h k l e i n e B ö g e n k e n n t l i c h gemacht w e r d e n ,
auf längere.
eine
noch
71
B e i der M a l i b u - S p h i n x erkennt
diffizilere
A n o r d n u n g der
Federn.
schließen möchte.
man
B e m e r k e n s w e r t i n diesem Z u s a m m e n h a n g
Die
scheint m i r die K o m b i n a t i o n v o n S p h i n x u n d G r e i f
er
a u f der i n A b b . 16 wiedergegebenen
deren
Bronzepinzette,
ostgriechisch-südrussischen M i s c h s t i l
anderer Stelle ausführlich besprach.
45
i c h an
75
DIE TONPLATTE I N MALIBU.'
E I N ZEUGNIS DER SAMISCHEN
KUNST
D i e kunsttopographische H e i m a t unseres Terrakotta
reliefs, die oben bereits als ostgriechisch festgeschrie
ben w i r d , läßt sich n o c h genauer eingrenzen.
W i e z u v o r dargelegt, zeigen S p h i n x u n d G r e i f
in
Malibu
die
meisten
Ubereinstimmungen
mit
d e m Potnia-Greifen-Blech ( A b b . 11), also gerade m i t
jenem
Bronzeblech,
dessen ostionischer
Stil
wohl
stets außer Frage stand. Seine samische Faktur, die
z u w e i l e n schon v e r m u t e t w u r d e , d a r f n u n seit k u r z e m
durch
den
spektakulären
Geryoneus-Blechs
Neufund
des
samischen
( A b b . 17) als gesichert
gelten.
76
D i e Ä h n l i c h k e i t e n z w i s c h e n d e m samischen PotniaGreifen-Blech ( A b b . 11) u n d der Terrakottaplatte i n
A B B .
Malibu
16
Bronzepinzette aus Cumae. Boston, Museum of Fine Arts 01.7511a, b
(nach Comstock und Vermeule, Greek, Etruscan and Roman Bronzes,
Nr. 626).
erlauben
somit,
letztere
ebenfalls
im
sa
mischen Kunstkreis anzusiedeln.
Diese kunsttopographische Z u o r d n u n g bestätigt
sich darüberhinaus
d u r c h mehrere
Vergleiche z w i
schen M a l i b u - R e l i e f u n d verschiedenen W e r k e n des
ostionisch-samischen Kunstschaffens. Das belegen die
folgenden A u s f ü h r u n g e n .
I n der ostionischen T i e r f r i e s k e r a m i k des 7. u n d
6. J a h r h u n d e r t s ,
77
als dessen H a u p t z e n t r e n
bekannt
l i c h Rhodos u n d Samos gelten, g i b t es antithetische
Paare v o n Sphingen u n d Greifen, allerdings i m M o t i v
A B B .
17
Bronzeblech. Samos, Archäologisches Museum Β 2518 (nach Brize, Beil. 2).
46 Dierichs
sich i n i h r e r Profilansicht recht g u t m i t d e m Greifen i n
M a l i b u vergleichen lassen. M a n beachte den v o m O h r
ausgehenden W u l s t . B e i den P r o t o m e n läuft er w i e
der Kehlsack eines Pelikans u n t e r d e m Schnabel u m ,
w ä h r e n d er sich b e i m reliefierten Greifen zu e i n e m
graphisch w i r k e n d e n Halspolster plattdrücken
muß.
E i n e schwunglose, i m R e l i e f aufgesetzte Spirallocke
der
Protomen
Greifen,
entspricht
der
L o c k e des
Malibu-
die steif a u f seiner H a l s k o n t u r liegt.
Der
G r e i f e n k o p f unseres Reliefs u n t e r w i r f t sich d e m v o n
U . Jantzen
90
für die P r o t o m e n der ersten Hälfte des 7.
Jahrhunderts
beobachteten
D i a g o n a l s y s t e m aus ver
längerter K n a u f - u n d O h r l i n i e . D a das
ABB.l8
Fragment eines Kraters (nach H. Walter, Samos
Sphingenge
sicht i n M a l i b u , w i e u n t e n n o c h zu d i s k u t i e r e n ist, erst
ins 6. Jahrhundert datiert, hätte m a n eher eine Paralle
5 [1968], Abb. 43).
lität unseres Greifenkopfes zu , , s p ä t e n " P r o t o m e n aus
der Wende v o m 7. z u m 6. Jahrhundert erwartet. Es ist
der
Sprungbereitschaft.
78
Sie gehören i n die erste
Hälfte des 6. Jahrhunderts. A u f der älteren, u m 630
v . C h r . entstandenen O i n o c h o e L e v y
7 9
somit
festzuhalten,
daß
der K ü n s t l e r des
Malibu-
Reliefs m i t d e m menschlichen A n t l i t z der S p h i n x d e m
findet sich eine
erreichten Z e i t s t i l folgt, w ä h r e n d er i m G r e i f e n p r o f i l
d e m Fabelwesenpaar i n M a l i b u n o c h besser vergleich
den älteren Greifenkopftypus aus der Z e i t der ersten
bare G r u p p e aus S p h i n x u n d Greif, w e i l sie ebenfalls
Hohlgüsse
schreitend wiedergegeben s i n d .
8 0
D e r Gesichtstypus
der
Protomen
tradiert.
Dieser
Befund
bestätigt erneut die L a n g l e b i g k e i t des hocharchaischen
der S p h i n x a u f der O i n o c h o e Levy, der annähernd den
ostionischen G r e i f e n k o p f t y p u s
einer S p h i n x a u f e i n e m neu gefundenen
cherheit i n der D a t i e r u n g zahlreicher Greifendarstel
Vasenfrag
81
m e n t aus Samos w i e d e r h o l t , liegt etwa eine Genera
lungen
t i o n v o r d e m des M a l i b u - R e l i e f s .
9 2
91
u n d macht die U n s i
verständlich.
Ein Ton-Pinax,
93
der m i t spät- bis s u b g e o m e t r i
Z e i t s t i l i s t i s c h näher h i n g e g e n u n d d e u t l i c h ver
scher K e r a m i k a u f Samos zutage k a m , soll als nächstes
w a n d t i n G e s i c h t s b i l d u n g u n d Haartracht sind die
m i t d e m M a l i b u - R e l i e f i n V e r b i n d u n g gebracht w e r
S p h i n x unserer Platte u n d der Flötenspieler a u f der
den.
z w i s c h e n 610 u n d 580 v . C h r . datierten
Samos. I n i h r e r T r a d i t i o n m a g das v o n der B r o n z e
Reigentanz-Hydria.
samischen
82
K n a u f des M a l i b u - G r e i f e n ,
einen an einige o r i e n t a l i s c h e
belegt
frühe
gestempelte
Tonvotive auf
k u n s t abhängige, vielleicht aus einer M e t a l l m a t r i z e
Gewisse Entsprechungen für den vegetabilisch
ausgeformten
Er
83
der
zum
Greifenköpfe erinnert
u n d z u m anderen die nach i n n e n eingerollte S t i r n
locke des E u r y t i o n i m Geryoneus-Blech ( A b b . 1 7 )
84
gewonnene Terrakottarelief des G e t t y M u s e u m s gese
hen w e r d e n . A l s E i n z e l s t ü c k stellt sich unsere S p h i n x Greif-Platte d e m älteren singulären F u n d zur Seite.
E i n w e i b l i c h e r K o p f , der zu e i n e m v o n den A u s
gräbern als samisch nachgewiesenen F u n d v o n Terra
assoziiert, lassen sich n u r i n der ostionisch-samischen
kotten
Vasenmalerei finden. A u f d e m Fragment einer Vase
S - f ö r m i g e S t i r n l o c k e n , ganz ähnlich w i e sie auch die
aus M i l e t
8 5
ist der K n a u f eines Greifenkopfes als B l ü t e
stilisiert. E i n e ähnliche Kopfzier trägt der G r e i f a u f
e i n e m gemalten P i n a x aus B a y r a k l i
86
u n d e i n anderer
a u f e i n e m samischen K r a t e r ( A b b . 1 8 ) .
Selten haben auch bronzene
87
des
frühen
6. Jahrhunderts
gehört,
solche blütenartigen K n ä u f e . V o n den w e n i g e n , m . E .
n u r fünf, b e k a n n t e n Beispielen s t a m m e n n u n interes
zeigt
S p h i n x i n M a l i b u trägt. D i e Haarmasse des e r w ä h n t e n
Kopfes ist aus der F o r m gepreßt, w ä h r e n d die feinen
Haarritzungen nachträglich angebracht sind. D e r K o r o plast k o m b i n i e r t e also den mechanischen
Greifenprotomen
94
Abdruck
aus der M a t r i z e u n d die Feinarbeit m i t d e m M o d e l
lierstab.
Dieselbe Technik—für die oben
geschlossene
samische
Statuettengruppe
genannte
aus
Ton
infolgedessen
nachgewiesen—scheint auch b e i m M a l i b u - R e l i e f ange
m a n an i h r e E n t s t e h u n g i n einer samischen Werkstatt
w e n d e t w o r d e n zu sein; etwa an der Stelle, w o die
d e n k e n könnte. D i e betreffenden P r o t o m e n gehören
aufgefächerten Haarsträhnen der S p h i n x die Schuppen
i n die erste Hälfte des 7. Jahrhunderts,
des O b e r k ö r p e r s überlappen.
santerweise vier v o n der Insel Samos,
88
genau w i e
einige andere a u f Samos gefundene P r o t o m e n ,
8 9
die
V o n samischen Elfenbeinarbeiten, die sich m i t
47
lichen Gesichts so geprägt, daß sie das K n o c h e n g e r ü s t
d u r c h feinste Schwellungen verdecken u n d eine flä
chige W i r k u n g der P h y s i o g n o m i e v e r m e i d e n .
Diesen G e s a m t e i n d r u c k w i e d e r h o l e n z w e i w e i
tere D e n k m ä l e r , deren samischer
eine H o l z k o r e ( A b b . 2 0 )
98
Duktus
feststeht:
aus d e m ersten V i e r t e l des
6. Jahrhunderts u n d eine Terrakottamaske ( A b b . 2 1 ) ,
99
deren D a t i e r u n g n o c h u m s t r i t t e n ist.
C. Rolley beobachtete,
daß bei den besten der
samischen B r o n z e n die E n t w i c k l u n g des Kopfes den
A b s c h l u ß einer allmählichen E n t f a l t u n g der
Gestalt v o n u n t e n nach oben b i l d e .
100
ganzen
Diese für v o l l
plastische Werke f o r m u l i e r t e Charakterisierung läßt
sich auch a u f Bronzebleche des samischen K u n s t b e
reichs übertragen, etwa für die K e n t a u r e n u n d die Potnia des Potnia-Greifen-Blechs ( A b b . 11).
101
I c h meine,
sie auch bei der Sphinx des v o n Bronzearbeiten abhängi
gen Malibu-Reliefs wiederzufinden. U n d w e n n bei den
Fabelwesen i n M a l i b u eine Diskrepanz i n der M o d e l
l i e r u n g auffällt, n ä m l i c h zwischen einfachen großflä
A B B .
19
chigen K ö r p e r f o r m e n u n d m e t a l l a r t i g präzise gearbei
Drei Ansichten eines „Schiebers" aus Elfenbein. Samos, Archäo
logisches Museum Ε 6. Photo: B. Freyer-Schauenburg und
U. Jantzen.
teten Dekorationsdetails, dann scheint m i r i n diesem
Gegensatz abermals ein Reflex samischer B r o n z e b l e
che zu l i e g e n .
102
A u f g r u n d der zahlreichen, oben angeführten Paral
unserer
S p h i n x - G r e i f - P l a t t e vergleichen lassen,
zunächst das Perseus-Relief
95
ist
lelen, die unsere Terrakottaplatte m i t diversen samischen
aus d e m letzten V i e r t e l
W e r k e n zeigt, d a r f sie ebenfalls als samisches P r o d u k t
des 7. Jahrhunderts zu nennen. D e r ins P r o f i l g e w e n
angesprochen w e r d e n . Besonders d u r c h die Ä h n l i c h
dete K o p f der A t h e n a m u t e t an, als gehöre er einer
k e i t e n m i t toreutischen Erzeugnissen dieses K u n s t
älteren Schwester der S p h i n x i n M a l i b u , u n d die F l ü
kreises wage i c h die engere L o k a l i s i e r u n g a u f Samos
gelstilisierung der G o r g o s t i m m t m i t j e n e r der Fabel
vorzuschlagen.
103
wesen des Terrakottareliefs überein.
Ferner möchte ich a u f einen fragmentierten Schie
DATIERUNG
ber ( A b b . 19) h i n w e i s e n , den B . Freyer-Schauenburg
als das k u n s t v o l l e W e r k samischer Schnitzer des letz
ten Viertels des 7. Jahrhunderts b e s t i m m t .
9 6
E r könnte
m . E . auch erst zu B e g i n n des 6. Jahrhunderts entstan
den sein. Das Gerät b e k r ö n e n drei w e i b l i c h e P r o t o
m e n m i t fein gegliederter Haarmasse,
die das
Ohr
unverdeckt läßt. Diese S t i l i s i e r u n g u n d O r d n u n g des
F ü r einen Vergleich m i t d e m M a l i b u - R e l i e f b i e
tet sich als d r i t t e samische Elfenbeinarbeit e i n w o h l
erst u m die M i t t e des 6. Jahrhunderts zu datierender
kleiner männlicher K o p f an, d e m nach der vorbehalt
l i c h geäußerten M e i n u n g v o n U . S i n n eine Schlüssel
rolle bei der B e s t i m m u n g einer lokalen Schule samischer
zukommt.
9 7
I c h meine,
K o p f der S p h i n x ( A b b . i b ) . E r hat zwar die Starrheit
der dädalischen F o r m des 7. Jahrhunderts
überwun
den, aber er ist n o c h n i c h t befreit d u r c h das Lächeln
vieler archaicher Gesichter aus d e m z w e i t e n V i e r t e l
des 6. Jahrhunderts. E i n e E n t s t e h u n g z w i s c h e n 600
u n d 575 v . C h r . halte i c h für w a h r s c h e i n l i c h . S o m i t
Haares k e h r t bei der M a l i b u - S p h i n x wieder.
Elfenbeinschnitzkunst
D i e D a t i e r u n g des M a l i b u - R e l i e f s basiert a u f d e m
ergibt sich eine annähernde Z e i t g l e i c h h e i t m i t d e m
Potnia-Greifen-Blech ( A b b . 11),
104
das j a auch A u s
gangspunkt für die kunsttopographische E i n o r d n u n g
unseres Reliefs w a r u n d d e m w o h l eine Schlüsselstel
l u n g b e i der stilistischen B e u r t e i l u n g aller o s t g r i e c h i
schen Bronzebleche einzuräumen i s t .
105
das
URSPRÜNGLICHE
akzentuierte P r o f i l des betreffenden Kopfes spiegelt
VERWENDUNG
sich i n d e m der M a l i b u - S p h i n x w i d e r . D a r ü b e r hinaus
Das
sind die einzelnen Teile des männlichen u n d des w e i b
haben, der i n das H e i l i g t u m einer G o t t h e i t g e w e i h t
Relief i n M a l i b u
könnte
als P i n a x
106
gedient
48
Dierichs
wurde.
1 0 7
Seine N ä h e zu A r b e i t e n aus M e t a l l assoziiert
eine Inschrift a u f Samos, die besagt, daß z w e i P e r i n ther der H e r a i h r e n Z e h n t entrichteten i n F o r m einer
goldenen Gorgo, eines silbernen Sirens, einer Silber
schale u n d einer ehernen L a m p e .
108
D i e ursprünglich
vorhandenen B e f e s t i g u n g s l ö c h e r unseres Reliefs spre
chen für seine D e u t u n g als Pinax, u n d die z u v o r i n
anderem Z u s a m m e n h a n g e r w ä h n t e n V o t i v e
109
belegen
das frühe V o r k o m m e n dieser D e n k m ä l e r g r u p p e i m
ostgriechischen R a u m , w e n n g l e i c h seine
Weihreliefs
Pinakes
bleiben.
zahlenmäßig
aus
anderen
hinter
dem
erhaltenen
Bestand
Kunstlandschaften
an
zurück
110
D e r gute Erhaltungszustand unserer Terrakotta
platte deutet m ö g l i c h e r w e i s e d a r a u f h i n , daß sie n i c h t
lange den Witterungseinflüssen i n e i n e m offenen H e i
ligtum
ausgesetzt
war.
Vielleicht
stammt
sie
aus
d e m Bereich des Grabkults u n d w u r d e als Grabbei
gabe verwendet. D e r chtonische Bezug v o n Sphinx u n d
G r e i f spräche durchaus für eine solche V e r m u t u n g .
111
D a die Vorderseite der Terrakottaplatte i n M a l i b u
eine leichte konvexe W ö l b u n g m i t m i n i m a l e m K r ü m
mungsradius
zeigt, ist m a n versucht,
sie m i t
den
k a u m m e r k l i c h gerundeten Reliefs zu parallelisieren,
A B B .
20
Holzkore. Samos, Archäologisches Museum
Η 42 (nach G. Kopeke, AM 82 [1967], 106,
Abb. 1 ) .
a u f denen
Göttinnen
i n prächtigen
Kultgewändern
stehen. O b die M a t r i z e n , denen diese Stücke e n t s t a m
m e n , aus T o n oder M e t a l l bestanden, ist u n g e w i ß . Z u
einem Exemplar i n Neapel
112
existiert e i n K o r r e s p o n
denzabdruck i n Francavilla ( A b b . 2 2 ) .
1 1 3
I m Gewand
der G o t t h e i t des letzteren erscheint i n der untersten
Stufe
ein
antithetisches
Sphingenpaar.
Weihungen
dieser A r t — d i e genannten gehören i n den groß g r i e
chischen K u n s t b e r e i c h — s i n d auch für den o s t g r i e c h i
schen
Raum
nicht
auszuschließen.
Verwandtes
z u m i n d e s t liegt i n einer n o c h i m 7. Jahrhundert
ent
standenen G ö t t i n n e n - oder Frauenstatuette vor, deren
Gewand
m i t T i e r e n u n d Fabelwesen
bemalt
ist.
114
Unser B i l d f e l d m i t S p h i n x u n d Greif, als Bestandteil
eines ähnlichen Göttinnenreliefs zu sehen, b l e i b t aller
dings unbefriedigend h y p o t h e t i s c h .
E i n e andere ursprüngliche F u n k t i o n des Reliefs
in
Malibu
ist wahrscheinlicher.
Da
oben
gezeigt
w u r d e , daß unsere S p h i n x - G r e i f - P l a t t e v o n t o r e u t i schen Erzeugnissen abhängt, ist durchaus m ö g l i c h , i n
i h r die A b f o r m u n g aus einer B r o n z e m a t r i z e zu verste
hen. D e n n g u t gelungene toreutische T e i l f o r m e n w u r
den j a z u w e i l e n i n T o n a b g e n o m m e n .
115
D i e ste
hengebliebenen Tonstreifen ober- u n d u n t e r h a l b der
A B B .
21
Weibliche Terrakottamaske. Kassel, Staatliche
Kunstsammlungen S 54.
waagerechten B e g r e n z u n g s l i n i e n des Bildfeldes w ü r
den die H y p o t h e s e stützen, das M a l i b u - R e l i e f als e i n
solches kleines, aus einer B r o n z e m a t r i z e gewonnenes
A B B .
22
A B B .
Terrakottarelief einer Göttin aus Francavilla
(nach R. Hampe und E. Simon, Tausend Jahre
49
23
Außenbild der Erzgießereischale. Berlin, Antikenmuseum F 2294 (nach P. C. Bol, Antike
Bronzetechnik [1985], 129, Abb. 84).
frühgriechische Kunst [1980], 277, Abb. 35).
T o n m o d e l l zu interpretieren, das an einer Werkstatt
Graecia. Diese schließen j e d o c h aus, den Landschafts
w a n d h i n g , w i e etwa jene k l e i n e n Täfelchen, die a u f
stil des Reliefs als kretisch oder groß griechisch festzu
der Erzgießereischale ( A b b . 2 3 )
116
an e i n e m G e h ö r n
schreiben.
Mangelnde U b e r e i n s t i m m u n g e n m i t the
matisch nahen Bronzearbeiten der k o r i n t h i s c h e n u n d
befestigt sind.
M u s t e r a b d r u c k nach einer toreutischen F o r m (zu
kretischen K u n s t , aber zahlreiche B e z ü g e zu W e r k e n
M o d e l l z w e c k e n ) oder Pinax (als W e i h u n g i m Bereich
aus B r o n z e u n d anderen M a t e r i a l i e n des o s t g r i e c h i
v o n Grab bzw. H e i l i g t u m ) , d a m i t dürfte die u r s p r ü n g
schen, speziell ostionisch-samischen
Kunstschaffens,
liche F u n k t i o n des M a l i b u - R e l i e f s a m w a h r s c h e i n l i c h
favorisieren
sten b e s t i m m t sein.
H e i m a t des Reliefs. D i e m i t Bronzeblechen
Samos
als
die
kunsttopographische
dieses
Kunstkreises i n enger Verwandtschaft stehende Terra
kottaplatte i n M a l i b u dürfte i m 1. V i e r t e l des 6. Jahr
ZUSAMMENFASSUNG
hunderts
entstanden
sich
stellung v o n S p h i n x u n d Greif, k e n n t n u r w e n i g e gat
als M o d e l l für toreutische A r b e i t e n diente.
hier besprochenen
Grabbeigabe
nicht
tönerner A b d r u c k einer bronzenen T e i l f o r m war, die
dem
Weihrelief,
läßt
die griechisch-archaische Flächenkunst typischen D a r
In
sie
Es
entscheiden,
tungsverwandte D e n k m ä l e r aus K r e t a u n d der M a g n a
ob
sein.
D i e Terrakottaplatte des G e t t y M u s e u m s , m i t ihrer für
Stück besitzt
oder
das
50
Dierichs
G e t t y M u s e u m eine interessante u n d w e r t v o l l e A r b e i t
Reed
der griechisch archaischen Flächenkunst. E r s t a u n l i c h ,
daß e i n W e r k , dessen Qualität eine künstlerische u n d
h a n d w e r k l i c h e T r a d i t i o n voraussetzt, bis heute v e r e i n
zelt dasteht. A u f g r u n d dieser Singularität der S p h i n x Greif-Platte w u r d e n d e n n auch Z w e i f e l an der „ E c h t
h e i t " des E x p o n a t s g e ä u ß e r t ,
117
so daß es die Verfasse
r i n dieses A r t i k e l s für unerläßlich h i e l t , einen T L - T e s t
zu e r b i t t e n . Sein E r g e b n i s
hung
der
bestätigt,
118
Terrakottaplatte,
was P. C. B o l
1 1 9
belegte die antike Entste
deren
Sonderstellung
folgendermaßen
zusam
menfaßt:
Neu
bekannt
werdende
echte Kunstwerke
der
Antike bieten immer Neues und müssen sich,
wenn sie aus düsteren Quellen des Kunsthandels
auftauchen, mitunter erst gegen Verdächtigungen
durchsetzen. Jede umfangreiche
Grabung bringt
denn auch Funde an den Tag, die zunächst
so
befremdlich wirken, daß, wären sie nicht i n gut
belegten
und gut dokumentierten
Grabungszu
sammenhängen, sondern anonym i m Kunsthandel
aufgetaucht, sie größte Skepsis und Bedenken auf
den Plan gerufen hätten.
Rizza und Scrinari
Ν. Β. Reed, "Griffins in Post-Minoan
Cretan A r t , " Hesperia 45 (1976), 365379·
G. Rizza und V. Santa Maria Scrinari, //
Santuario sulVacropole di Gortina, Bd. 1
(Rom, 1968).
Um die Anmerkungsteil nicht noch zu verlängern, wurde D. A.
Amyx, Corinthian Vase Painting of the Archaic Period (Berkeley,
1988) gar nicht und W. Fuchs und J. Floren, Die geometrische und
archaische Plastik, Bd. 1, Die griechische Plastik (München, 1987) nur
vereinzelt zitiert.
1. Inv. Nr. 7 9 . A D . 195. Als Anzeige der Galerie ,,Palladion"
(Basel) abgebildet in H. Schlögel, Geschenke des Nils: Aegyptische Kunstwerke aus Schweizer Besitz (Basel, 1978); erwähnt
und abgebildet: Dierichs, 28, Taf. 1.3.
Die Anregung zu diesem Artikel verdanke ich M . True. Ihr
und K. Manchester, die mir hilfreiche Auskünfte erteilten,
fühle ich mich besonders verpflichtet. Für wertvolle Hinweise
danke ich ebenfalls E. Bohr, J. Floren, L. Frey, W. Fuchs,
P. Gercke, H.-V. Herrmann, G. Kopeke, J. R. Mertens,
F. Prayon und M . Schmidt. B. Freyer-Schauenburg und dem
J. Paul Getty Museum, ferner den Staatlichen Kunstsammlun
gen (Kassel), dem Allard Pierson Museum (Amsterdam), dem
Antikenmuseum (Basel), dem Akademischen Kunstmuseum
(Bonn), dem Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe (Hamburg),
dem Britischen Museum (London), dem Ashmolean Museum
(Oxford) habe ich für Fotomaterial, C. Newman Bohn und
E. Mandell für Korrekturhilfe, zu danken.
2. Literatur zu archaischen Sphingen: N . Verdeiis, ,,L'apparition
du sphinx dans l'art grec aux 8 et 7 siecles avant J.Ch.," BCH
(1951), i f f ; EAA, Bd. 7 (Rom, 1966), 23off, s.v. sfinge
(S. Donadoni und L. Banti); W. Schiering, Werkstätten orientalisierender Keramik auf Rhodos (Berlin, 1957), 57ff; H. Walter,
Antike und Abendland 9 (i960), 63 f f ; C. Kardara, Rodiaki
Angeiographia (Athen, 1963), 153 f. und passim; Demisch,
Sphinx; Müller, 56ff, 158fr. und passim.
3. Nur die frühe Kleinkunst kennt vereinzelt Sphingen mit bärti
gem Männergesicht. Bronzeblech: Demisch, Sphinx, Abb. 220
= Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, Abb. 33 (hier Abb. 8); Aryballos:
J. L. Benson, Die Geschichte der korinthischen Vasen (Basel,
1953), Taf. 7.
4. Literatur zu archaischen Greifen: Roscher, ML 1, 1742fr., s.v.
Gryps (A. Furtwängler); RE, Bd. 7 (Stuttgart, 1912), I902ff,
s.v. Gryps (H. Prinz und K. Ziegler); EAA, Bd. 3 (Rom,
i960), I056ff, s.v. grifo (M. G. Marunti, S. I . Rudenko und
G. Manganaro); Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum 12
(Stuttgart, 1983), 95iff., s.v. Greif (H. Brandenburg); Schie
ring (a.O., Anm. 2), 57ff; B. Goldman, „The Development
of the Lion-Griffin," AJA 64 (i960), 319fr.; P. Amandry, AM
77 (1962), 56ff; Kardara (a.O., Anm. 2), i54ff; Α. M . Bisi, //
Grifone: Storia di un motivo iconografico nell'antico Oriente mediterraneo (Rom, 1965), 197fr.; Müller, 73fr, 123fr, 2 0 i f f ; Eals;
Delplace, Griffon, 13fr.; Dierichs; Dierichs, Bild des Greifen;
dies., Boreas 7 (1984), 15fr.
5. Ein häufiges Haltungsmotiv bei Fabelwesen der archaischen
Kunst. Vgl. exemplarisch: Demisch, Sphinx, Abb. 228 =
Funde aus Olympia, Taf. 59.
6. Zur Deutung von Sphingen: Demisch, Sphinx, 76fr. passim;
Müller, 56fr, 158fr. und passim; Deutungsfacette unter eroti
schem Aspekt: G. Koch-Harnack, Knabenliebe und Tierge
schenke: Ihre Bedeutung im ρäderastischen Erziehungssystem
Athens (Berlin, 1983), 2 i i f f ; A. Dierichs, Erotik in der Kunst
Griechenlands. AntW, Sonderheft, 1988, 82f. Zur Deutung von
Greifen: Demisch, Sphinx, 76fr.; Müller, 73fr, 123fr, 20iff.
und passim; Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 270fr
e
Münster
ANMERKUNGEN
Abkürzungen:
Brize
P. Brize, ,,Samos und Stesichoros: Zu
dem frühgriechischen Bronzeblech,"
AM 100 (1985), 53-158.
Delplace, Griffon
C. Delplace, Le griffon de Varcha'isme ä
Vepoque imperiale (Brüssel und Rom,
1980) .
Demisch, Sphinx
H. Demisch, Die Sphinx: Geschichte ihrer
Darstellung von den Anfängen bis zur
Gegenwart (Stuttgart, 1977).
Dierichs
A. Dierichs, ,,Das Bild des Greifen in
der
frühgriechischen
Flächenkunst:
Nachträge," Boreas 8 (1985), 5-32.
Dierichs, Bild des Greifen Α. Dierichs, Das Bild des Greifen in der
frühgriechischen Flächenkunst (Münster,
1981) .
Dörig
J. Dörig U . A . , Dädalische Kunst auf Kreta
im 7. Jahrhundert v.Chr. (Mainz, 1970).
Eals
N . Eals, Griffins in Post-Minoan Cretan
Art (University of Missouri, Columbia,
1973)·
Funde aus Olympia
A. Mallwitz und H.-V. Herrmann, Die
Funde aus Olympia (Athen, 1980).
Müller
P. Müller, Löwen und Mischwesen in der
archaischen griechischen Kunst: Eine Unter
suchung über ihre Bedeutung (Zürich, 1981).
Payne
H. Payne, Necrocorinthia: Α Study of
Corinthian Art in the Archaic Period (Ox
ford, 1931).
e
Ein
η. Demisch, Sphinx, usf.; Müller, I55f. erwähnt ein Epigramm
des späten 6. Jahrhunderts aus Thessalien, das die Sphinx als
Wächterin des Grabes überliefert.
8. Demisch, Sphinx, 86; Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, i88ff. Ο Sark
(Ostgriechenland. Klazomenische Sarkophage), 1-4 = R. M .
Cook, Clazomenian Sarcophagi (Mainz, 1981), Nr. 29, Fig. 32,
Taf. 67; Nr. 12, Taf. 53; Nr. 3; Nr. 28, Taf. 64; s. auch Taf 8.2,
56, 68, 73, 759. Panzer: H. Hoffmann, Early Cretan Armorers (Mainz, 1972),
7f, C i ; 37ff, Taf. 21; J. Dörig U.A., Dädalische Kunst auf Kreta
im 7. Jahrhundert v.Chr. (Mainz, 1970), 33, A6, Taf 1-4; Die
richs, Bild des Greifen, 144Ά, Kr Β 2, Abb. 56; Mitra: Dörig,
a.O., A n , Taf. 10; O. White Muscarella, Hrsg., Ancient Art:
The Norbert Schimmel Collection (Mainz, 1974), Nr. 11 mit
Abb.; Knöchelschiene: Funde aus Olympia, Taf. 64.
10. Bronzepinzette: M . Comstock und C. Vermeule, Greek,
Etruscan and Roman Bromes in the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston,
1971), Nr. 626 mit Abb. = Dierichs, 2 i f f , Abb. 8 (hier Abb.
23); Bronzespiegel: H. Metzger, Anatolien, Bd. 2 (München,
1969) = Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 212K, Ο Β 3, Abb. 105,
105a; Marmorlampe: J. D. Beazley, JHS 60 (1940), 4 i f , Fig. 21,
Taf. 7 - Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 228ff, Ο Rel 1, Abb. 122,
122a.
11. Beispiele liefert die gesamte griechisch-archaische Vasenma
lerei.
12. R. Laffineur, L'orfevrerie orientalisante (Paris, 1978), 7 i f f , 231,
Nr. 203, Taf. 23.4 = Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 2 i 6 f f , Ο Go 7,
Abb. π ι , nia; Laffineur, a.O., 6 9 f f , I99f., Nr. 36, 37, 41, 42,
Taf. 6.1-3.
13. Protokorinthischer Aryballos: A.-F. Laurens, Ceramique corinthienne et etrusco-corinthienne, Catalogue des collections, Bd. 1
(Montpellier, 1984), Nr. 7 mit Abb.
14. Demisch, Sphinx, 83; umfassend zur thebanischen Sphinx:
J. M . Moret, Oedipe, la sphinx et les thebains: Essai de mythologie
iconographique (Rom, 1984).
15. Kylix: M . F. Vos, Scythian Archers in Archaic Attic Vase Painting
(Utrecht, 1963) = Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, Abb. 37, 37a, 37b;
Caeretaner Hydria: T. B. L. Webster, JHS 48 (1928), 200,
Taf. n . i = Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 181, i83ff., Ο V sonst 7,
Abb. 91; Frgt.: R. M . Cook, BSA 60 (1965), 137, Nr. 138,
Taf. 40 = Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, i82ff, Ο V sonst 8.
16. T. J. Dunbabin, The Sanctuaries of Hera Akraia and Hera Limenia, Perachora, Bd. 2 (Oxford, 1962), Nr. 2161, Taf. 86 =
Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 17, 59f, Κ V 59.
17. Dunbabin (a.O., Anm 16), Nr. 2434, Taf. 97 = Dierichs, Bild
des Greifen, 13, 42ff, Κ V 35; F. G. Lo Porto, ASAtene 37-38,
n.s. 21-22 (1959-1960), 227, Fig. 200a, b = Dierichs, Bild des
Greifen, 39, 49fr., Κ V 193, Abb. 31, 31a.
18. Demisch, Sphinx, Abb. 222f; CVA Frankreich 12, Louvre 8,
III Ca, Taf. 19.2, 7, 8 - Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 9, 42ff, Κ V
9, Abb. 1; CVA Deutschland 15, Mainz 1, Taf. 28 = Dierichs,
Buddes Greifen, 12, 42ff., Κ V 25, Abb. 4.
19. Einzelne Greifen im Tierfries: CVA Italien 18, Tarent 2, III
Cd, Taf. 1.1-3, 3; J. Sieveking und R. Hackl, Die königliche
Vasensammlung zu München, Bd. 1, Die älteren nicht attischen
Vasen (München, 1912), 13, Nr. 235, Abb. I9f. = Dierichs, Bild
des Greifen, 17, 42ff, Κ V 56-60; Κ. Friis Johansen, Les vases
sicyoniens (Rom, 1966), Nr. 55, Taf. 34.2; M . Robertson, BSA
43 (1948), 39, Abb. 26, 146; Dunbabin (a.O., Anm. 16),
Nr. 2161, Taf. 86; einzelne Sphingen im Tierfries: Payne, pas
sim; Dunbabin (a.O., Anm. 16), passim.
20. Demisch, Sphinx, 81, vgl. in diesem Zusammenhang I . Ε. M .
Edlund, Meded 42 (1980), 3 iff.
21. Ε. Simon, Die Götter der Griechen (München, 1969), i69ff,
bes. 172.
22. I . Scheibler, Die symmetrische Bildform in der frühgriechischen
Terrakottarelief
51
Flächenkunst (Kallmünz, i960), 2 2 : in der gesamten früharchai
schen Wappenkomposition sind Sphingen- und Löwenwappen
am häufigsten; Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 58, 99, i62f., 179,
187: zu den antithetischen Greifengruppen auf korinthischen,
attischen und ostgriechischen Vasen.
23. s. Anm. 19.
24. Dörig, Kat. 39(b), Taf. 38c.
25. Agios Nikolaos, Arch. Mus. 1668: Reed, Nr. 7, Taf. 82 =
Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 138, H i f f , Kr Τ 9 (hier Abb. 2 ) .
26. Sphingen aus Gortyn: Rizza und Scrinari, Taf. 14.79a, 19.108,
20.122.
Greifen aus Praisos: Paris, Louvre A M 839.
S. Mollard-Besques, Catalogue raisonne des figurines et reliefs en
terre cuite grecs, etrusques et romains, Bd. 1 (Paris, 1954), 31,
Β 178, Taf. 2 2 = Reed, 369 und Nr. 6 = Dierichs, Bild des
Greifen, 138, I 4 i f f , Kr Τ 8; Herakleion, Arch. Mus. 1395:
Reed, Nr. 11, Taf. 83 = Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 139, i 4 i f f ,
Kr Τ 11; Agios Nikolaos, Arch. Mus. 19: Reed, Nr. 8, Taf. 83
= Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 139, I 4 i f f , Kr Τ 12. Literatur zu
kretischen Reliefpinakes: Dörig, 94f. (mit ausführlicher
Bibliographie).
27. s. Anm. 26 und Rizza und Scrinari, passim.
28. P. Demargne, BCH 53 (1929), 420, Fig. 34; Paris, Louvre A M
1696: Dörig, 31, Taf. 46a; Oxford, Ashmolean Museum
G. 488: Dörig, D 25, Taf. 46; Herakleion, Arch. Mus.:
F. Matz, Geschichte der griechischen Kunst, Bd. 1 (Frankfurt,
1950), Taf. 287b.
29. s. Anm. 25; Herakleion, Arch. Mus.: Matz (a.O., Anm. 28),
Abb. 287a.
30. Rizza und Scrinari, Taf. 26.169a.
31. Ibid., Taf. 27.172.
32. s. Anm. 25-31.
33. Exemplarisch: Rizza und Scrinari, Taf. 30.190, 2 0 1 ; Dedalico
antico 700-670, Dedalico medio 670-640, Dedalico tardo 640620 (Ibid., 244); Mittel- bis Spätdädalisch 655-625 (W. Horn
bostel in Dörig, 65; weitere Literatur zur dädalischen Plastik:
Hornbostel, a.O, 67, Anm. 23).
34. D. Levi, BdA 41 (1956), 271, Fig. 57; Rizza und Scrinari,
Taf. 21.127; Eals, 46, Nr. 13, Fig. 48; Reed, Nr. 13; Delplace,
Griffon, Fig. 77; Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, I39ff., Kr Τ 15;
U. M . Lux, Beiträge zur Darstellung des ,,Herrn der Tiere" im
griechischen, etruskischen und römischen Bereich vom 8. fh. v.Chr.
an (Georgenthal, 1962), 24.
35. Weiteres Vergleichsmaterial (Votive): Ε. Η. Dohan, ,,Archaic
Cretan Terracottas in America," MMS 3 ( 1 9 3 1 ) , Fig. 33-37;
J. Boardman, The Cretan Collection in Oxford (Oxford, 1 9 6 1 ) ,
Taf. 39.500; Mollard-Besques (a.O., Anm. 2 6 ) , Taf. 2 2 ,
Β 1 7 7 7 . 1 7 9 ; Rizza und Scrinari, Taf. 14.79c, 1 9 . 1 0 7 , 2 7 . 1 7 1 ,
3 0 . 2 0 7 ; Dörig, D 2 5 - 3 2 , Taf. 46a, 4 7 d ; Demisch, Sphinx, 70,
Abb. I 9 i f . Literatur zu kretischen Reliefpinakes: Dohan, a.O.,
2 0 9 f f . ; R. A. Higgins, Catalogue of the Terracottas in the British
Museum, Bd. 1 (London, 1 9 5 4 ) , i 5 7 f f ; Mollard-Besques, a.O.,
2 8 f f ; Boardman, a.O, i o 8 f f ; Rizza und Scrinari, 2 0 4 f f .
36. Amphora: Basel, Antikenmuseum BS 607 (hier Abb. 3):
Κ. Schefold, Führer durch das Antikenmuseum Basel (Basel,
1966), Nr. 66; Eals, Nr. 4, Fig. 34-36; Dierichs, Bild des Grei
fen, 137, i4off, Kr Τ 3, Abb, 55, 55a. Amphora: P. Aubert,
BCH 1 0 0 (1976), Fig. 351; Dierichs, 16, Nr. 1. Amphora: Kas
sel, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Τ 765: P. Gercke, A A, 1983,
487f, Abb. 15, 16b; Frgt. einer Amphora. University of Mis
souri, Columbia, Museum of Art and Archeology 67-49:
Reed, Nr. 3, Taf. 82.3; Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 137, i4off,
Kr Τ 1 . Weitere Reliefgefäße oder Frgte. mit Sphingen:
D. Levi, Hesperia 14 (1945), Taf. 30.2, 3 1 . 1 - 2 ; T. J. Dunbabin,
BSA 48 (1952), 153ff.; J. Schäfer, Studien zu den griechischen
Reliefpithoi des 8-6. fahrhunderts v.Chr. aus Kreta, Rhodos, Tenos
und Boeotien (Kallmünz, 1957), Taf. 3.3, 4 . 1 , 5 . 1 - 2 , 6 . 1 - 2 ;
52
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
Dierichs
Boardman (a.Ο., Anm. 35), Taf. 40, 501; D. Levi, Early Hel
lenic Pottery of Crete (Amsterdam, 1969), Taf. 30, 31.1-2;
S. Doeringer, D. G. Mitten und A. Steinberg, Hrsg., Art and
Technology: A Symposium on Classical Bronzes (Cambridge,
Mass., 1970), 146, Fig. ι (M. Gjodesen); Dörig, Taf. 25, 26c-e,
27, 28a, 31, 33, 35, 37b; M . Brouscari, BCH99 (1975), 39off,
Fig. 3—11; L. Hillman Anderson, Relief Pithoi from the Archaic
Period of Greek Art (Boulder, Colo., 1979), 41 ff. Weitere Relief
gefäße oder Frgte. mit Greifen: Eals, Nr. 5, Fig. 37-39 =
Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 137, i4off, Kr Τ 2, Abb. 54; Brous
cari, a.O., 388, Nr. 2, Fig. 2 = Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 137f.,
i4off, Kr Τ 4; Brouscari, a.O., 387, Nr. 1, Fig. 1 = R. Hampe
und E. Simon, Tausend Jahre frühgriechische Kunst (München,
1980), Abb. 412 = Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 138, i4off,
Kr Τ 5; Eals, 43 = Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, Kr Τ 6; Reed,
Nr. 15, Taf. 84a-c = Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 139ft, Kr Τ i6.
Literatur zu kretischen Reliefgefäßen: Dörig, soff, Bibliogra
phie 68f.
Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, i4off.
Die Bezeichnung „sizilisch" wird hier in dem Bewußtsein
gebraucht, daß eine homogene sizilische Formensprache fehlt.
Vgl. E. Langlotz, Die Kunst der Westgriechen (München, 1963),
16.
Palermo, Museo Nazionale H. 63.7836: A. Adriani u.A.,
Himera, Bd. 1 (Rom, 1970), 119, Taf. 80.1; R G. Guzzo, BdA 58
(1973), Abb. 11; Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 24if, Τ 2; Ν. Boncasa, ASAtene 45-46, n.s. 29-30 (1967-1968), 306, Fig. 4, 3 i i f f ;
ders., ASAtene 59, n.s. 43 (1981), 332f, Fig. 18.
Bei einer Gesamthöhe des Himera-Reliefs von 21,5 cm liegt
die Höhe des Feldes mit Sphinx und Greif zwischen den hori
zontalen Begrenzungen bei annähernd 5 cm; die Höhe des
entsprechenden Bildfeldes in Malibu beträgt ca. 7 cm.
s. Anm. 39.
Ganz anders die antithetischen Greifen auf einem Stamnos:
J. Boardman, The Greeks Overseas (London, 1964), Fig. 217;
R. Bianchi Bandinelli und A. Giuliano, Etrusker und Italiker
(München, 1974), Abb. 84; E. de Miro, ,,Gela Protoarcaica,"
ASAtene 61, n.s. 45 (1983), 97, Fig. 102b.
Langlotz (a.O., Anm. 38), Taf. 13.
M . Borda, Arte Dedalico a Taranto (Pordenone, 1979), 77ff.
Amsterdam, Allard Pierson Museum 2697: Borda (a.O.,
Anm. 44), 90, Fig. 26 (hier Abb. 5).
Bonn, Akademisches Kunstmuseum D 25876: Borda (a.O.,
Anm. 44), 91, Fig. 27 (hier Abb. 6).
Tarent, Museo Nazionale 12572, 12573: Q. Quagliati, II Museo
Nazionale di Taranto (Rom, 1932), 50; Delplace, Griffon, 50,
Fig. 71.
Ibid., 54, Fig. 78 (Crotone, Museum 2049).
Vgl. exemplarisch: Ars Antiqua, Luzern (1961), Auktion 3,
Nr. 113, Taf. 46; M . Sprenger und G. Bartoloni, Die Etrusker
(München, 1977), Abb. 34, 42, 44; Delplace, Griffon, Fig. 79.
Oxford, Ashmolean Museum G.437: R. A. Higgins, Greek and
Roman Jewellery (London, 1961), Taf. 15c; Dierichs, Bild des
Greifen, 84, Abb. 34 (hier Abb. 7); eine weitere Bronzematrize
aus archaischer Zeit: H . Marion, AJA 53 (1949), 124, Taf. 20A
(abgebildet mit Gipsabdruck); zu archaischen Bronzematrizen:
P. C. Bol, Antike Bronzetechnik (München, 1985), 116.
Helm: Payne, 284, Fig. 122; Fibel: ders., The Sanctuaries of Hera
Akraia and Limenia, Perachora, Bd. 1 (Oxford, 1940), 146,
Taf. 48.1-3; Bleche: M . Holleaux, BCH 16 (1892), Taf. I 4 f ;
A. Furtwängler, AA, 1894, 117, Abb. 7-9; s. auch Anm. 52;
Funde aus Olympia, Taf. 46 = OlBer, Bd. 5, 93f., Taf. 50;
Spiegelgriffe: Payne, Fig. i o i f ; Anhänger: Payne, Perachora,
a.O, 145, Taf. 47.1, 2.
London, British Museum: Payne, 228, Fig. 104a, b = Die
richs, Bild des Greifen, 77, 8off., Κ Β 2, Abb. 33 (hier Abb. 8);
53.
54.
55.
Delplace, Griffon, 84, Fig. i i 2 f ; vgl. ferner ein Blech aus
Orchomenos, Athen, Nationalmuseum: A. De Ridder, BCH
19 (1895), 2i9ff, 221, Fig. 23 = Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 78,
8off, Κ Β 3 (Sphinx bzw. Greif in einem Bildfeld).
E. Kunze, „Archaische Schildbänder: Ein Beitrag zur frühgrie
chischen Bildgeschichte und Sagenüberlieferung," OlForsch 2
(Berlin, 1950); P. C. Bol, ,,Argivische Schilde," OlForsch 17
(Berlin, 1989), 43f; die Zahl der Sphingenwappen verdoppelte
sich aber bestätigte die Geschlossenheit der ganzen Reihe.
Zusammenstellung und Datierung der Sphingenwappen in
Abb. 9 nach Kunze (a.O., Anm. 53).
Beispiele mit Sphingen und Greifen: Payne, Taf. 3.1-3, 11.1-5,
15.3-6, 22.5-7, 23.3-5, 28.10, 33.1, 34.1, 35-1-4, 40.1. Den
meisten Sphingen der korinthischen Vasenmalerei fehlt eine
Kopfbekrönung: vgl. Payne, Taf. 4.6, 8.2, 10.2-4, 12.2 13.3,
9·7> 37-!> > 4- Zuweilen tragen Sphingen einen Polos: vgl.
Payne, Taf. 15.1, 16.13, 28.9. Sphingen mit Kopflocken (Ran
ken) sind selten: vgl. Payne, Taf. 4.2, 34.1; Τ J. Dunbabin, The
Sanctuaries of Hera Akraia and Limenia, Perachora, Bd. 2
(Oxford, 1962), Taf. 12.229, Ι3· 30, 30.637.
Hamburg, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe 1970.26a: s.
Anm. 9.
New York, Sammlung Schimmel: Dörig, A 11, Taf. 10;
O. White Muscarella, Hrsg., Ancient Art: The Norbert Schimmel
Collection (Mainz, 1974), Nr. 18 mit Abb.
Athen, Nationalmuseum Β 6444 (hier Abb. 11): A. Furtwängler, Olympia, Bd. 4 (reprint, Amsterdam, 1966), Taf. 38; Payne,
23of.; E. Kunze und H. Schleif, OlBer 2 (Berlin, 1938), 127;
P. Amandry, AM 77 (1962), $y£., 59, 61 Beil. 5; E. Spartz, Das
Wappenbild des Herrn und der Herrin der Tiere in der minoischmykenischen und frühgriechischen Kunst (München, 1962),
Nr. 135; Α. M . Bisi, 77 Grifone: Storia di un motivo iconografico
nelVantico Oriente mediterraneo (Rom, 1965), 224; A. Akerström,
Die architektonischen Terrakotten Kleinasiens (Lund, 1966), 89,
Abb. 27.3; C. Christou, Potnia Theron (Thessaloniki, 1968),
87, 221, Nr. 24; K. Fittschen, Untersuchungen zum Beginn der
Sagendarstellungen bei den Griechen (Berlin, 1969), 119, SB 26;
A. Yalouris, AEphem, 1972, Taf 50; Eals, 77, Fig. 78f; Müller,
144, 201, 204, 206; Delplace, Griffon, 82; Dierichs, Bild des
Greifen, 212K, Ο Β 1; dies. Boreas 7 (1984), 17, Nr. 4, Abb. 4a,
b; Brize, 76, OL 1, Taf. 23.2.
Olympia, Museum Β 4347 (hier Abb. 12): W. Gauer, OlForsch
8 (Berlin, 1975), 9; Funde aus Olympia, Taf. 44; Dierichs, Bild
des Greifen, 212K, Ο Β 2, Abb. 104; dies. Boreas 7 (1984), 19,
Nr. 5, Abb. 5; Brize, 77, OL 7.
Olympia, Museum Β 4348 (hier Abb. 13): E. Kunze, Archaiologikon Deltion 17 (1961-1962), Chron. 116, Taf. 128b; Funde aus
Olympia, Taf. 45; Brize, 77, OL 8.
Olympia, Museum Β 165 (hier Abb. 14): Kunze und Schleif,
OlBer 2 (a.O., Anm. 58), I26f, Taf 55; I . Scheibler, Die sym
metrische Bildform in der frühgriechischen Flächenkunst (Kall
münz, i960), 95, Anm. 74; Müller, 74.; Delplace, Griffon, 83,
Fig. 108; Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 77, 8of, Κ Β ι; dies., Boreas
7 (1984), 16, Nr. 2, Abb. 2.
Potnia-Greifen-Blech: etwa 25 cm X 15 cm; Malibu-Relief:
etwa 17,5 cm X 8 cm.
Zum „Schwimmen im Raum": R. Hampe und U. Jantzen,
OlBer 1 (Berlin, 1936), 90.
Zur „symmetrischen Bildform": Scheibler (a.O., Anm. 61),
passim.
Dieser Kopftypus läßt sich in der gesamten ostgriechischen
Flächenkunst belegen. Vgl. Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 15iff,
Ο V R, 2.4-7, 9, 10, 14-17, Abb. 57f, 6of, 64f£; 180, Ο V
sonst 1, Abb. 90, 90a; 182, Ο V sonst 9, 12; 195, Ο Τ 1, 5, 6,
Abb. 93-95; 216 Ο Go 6 mit Abbildungsverweisen und wei
terer Literatur; dies., Boreas 7 (1984), 2off.
2
2
2
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
Ein
66. Vgl. die Greifen auf Verkleidungsplatten aus Düver, bei denen
die Kombination aus bemaltem Relief und nur gemalten
Details vorliegt: Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 194, 20iff, O T i 9, Abb. 93—95; Dierichs, 22f; Sotheby's, London, Auktionska
talog 23 (Mai 1991), Abb. 75.
67. Als Belege gelten nicht nur das oben angeführte SphingenWidder-Blech (Olympia Β 4348, hier Abb. 13, s. Anm. 60),
sondern auch einige Figuren auf anderen Bronzeblechen.
Samos, Vathy Β i68o: E. Homann-Wedeking, AA, 1966, 161,
Abb. 5; A. Yalouris, AEphem, 1972, Taf. 57a; G. Kopeke,
AM 83 (1968), Taf. 118.1; Brize, 74, SA 2. Olympia Μ 77:
Ε. Willemsen, OlBer 7 (Berlin, 1961), 19; K. Schefold, Früh
griechische Sagenbilder (München, 1964), Taf. 80; Yalouris, a.O.,
Taf. 59; Funde aus Olympia, Taf. 48; Brize, 77, OL 9. Olympia
Μ 78: Α. Yalouris, AJA 75 (1971), Taf. 64; dies. AEphem, 1972,
Taf. 55f; Brize, 77, OL 10. Olympia Μ io8: A. Yalouris,
AEphem, 1972, Taf. 58; Brize, 77, OL 11. Bezeichnenderweise
ordnet Brize (S. 83) die Bleche Olympia 77.108 einem sami
schen Werkstattkreis Anfang des 6. Jahrhunderts, das Blech
Olympia Μ 78 einem samischen Werkstattkreis des 1. Viertels
des 6. Jahrhunderts zu. Auch auf die Haarstilisierung des
Eurytion im Geryoneus-Blech (hier Abb. 17), das Brize einem
im 4. Viertel des 7. Jahrhunderts arbeitenden samischen Werk
stattkreis zuschreibt, ist zu verweisen (s. auch Anm. 76).
68. A. Dierichs, Boreas 7 (1984), 26, 33.
69. Vgl. hier Abb. 12, 14 und Anm. 65.
70. Die Beschreibung dieses Wasservogels als „prächtiger Reiher"
und „bezeichnende Tiergestalt der frühprotokorinthischen
Kunst" (E. Kunze und H. Schleif, OlBer 2 [Berlin, 1938], 127)
ist nicht haltbar; vgl. Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 26. Weitere
Forschungen könnten möglicherweise auch eine andere kunst
topographische Zuordnung einer in Olympia gefundenen
Knöchelschiene ergeben. Zumindest die auf ihr dargestellte
hockende Sphinx scheint mir nicht vollends den bislang so
eindeutig ausgesprochenen peloponnesischen Stil des betref
fenden Stückes zu unterstreichen (E. Kunze und H . Schleif,
a.O., ioof, Abb. 63, Taf. 43; Funde aus Olympia, Taf. 64).
71. Beispiele aus der Toreutik. Vgl. Greifen und Potnia des PotniaGreifen-Blechs (hier Abb. 11) und Anm. 58; Potnia eines Blechs:
W. Wrede, A. v. Gerkan, R. Hampe und U. Jantzen, OlBer 1
(Berlin, 1937), 88f, Taf. 32; A. Yalouris, AEphem, 1972,
Taf. 49; Dierichs Bild des Greifen, 23, Abb. 9.; Gorgo eines
Elfenbeinreliefs, s. Anm. 95; Flügelpferd eines Schildzeichens:
Funde aus Olympia, 109, Taf. 71; Fabelwesen auf Goldblechen:
R Amandry, AM 77 (1962), Beil. 6-9; Dierichs, Bild des Grei
fen, 216, 22off, Ο Go 5—6a, Abb. 110. Belege aus der Vasenma
lerei: Kardara (a.O., Anm. 2), Abb. 6, 73, 118, 217 (Sphingen);
E. Akurgal, in Festschrift H. Vetters (Wien, 1985), Taf. IX,
Abb. 5; Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, Ο V sonst 9 = E. WalterKarydi, Samos 6.1 (Bonn, 1973), 25, Nr. 445, Taf. 50.445a;
Dierichs, 20, Nr. 6 (Greifen).
72. Ahnlich: Greifen des Potnia-Greifen-Blechs (hier Abb. 11) und
Anm. 58; Greifen einer samischen Schale: Walter-Karydi
(a.O., Anm. 71), 25, Nr. 445, Taf. 50.445a; Löwen einer
kykladisch-ostgriechischen Schale: R Demargne, Die Geburt
der griechischen Kunst, 2. Aufg. (München, 1975), Abb. 234.
73. Einziehungen: vgl. Schiering (a.O., Anm. 2), 58f, Taf. 11.2,
16; Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 159, Fig. 14; Schrägstriche:
vgl. Greifen des Potnia-Greifen-Blechs, hier Abb. 11 und
Anm. 58; Löwen der Potnia eines Blechs: Wrede, v. Gerkan,
Hampe und Jantzen (a.O., Anm. 71), Taf. 32; Kentauren des
Kaineus-Blechs: Funde aus Olympia, Taf. 42 (ausführliche Lite
raturhinweise, Funde aus Olympia, 78); Fabelwesen auf Gold
blechen: Amandry (a.O., Anm. 71).
74. Besonders deutlich: CVA Belgien 3, Brüssel, Musee Cinquantennaire 3, HD, Taf. 2.1, 3.1 = Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 152,
Terrakottarelief
mit Sphinx
und Greif
53
I58ff, Ο V R 7, Abb. 58 (Greif); Funde aus Olympia, Taf. 45
(Sphingen und Widder), hier Abb. 13 und Anm. 60.
75. Boston, Museum of Fine Arts 01.7511a, b: Comstock und
Vermeule (a.O., Anm. 10), Nr. 626 mit Abb.; Dierichs, 25f£,
Abb. 8a, b (hier Abb. 16).
76. Brize, bes. 65ff.; J. Keck, Studien zur Rezeption fremder Einflüsse
in der chalkidischen Keramik: Ein Beitrag zur Lokalisierungsfrage
(Frankfurt, 1988), 96.
77. Ausgewählte Literatur: Schiering (a.O., Anm. 2); Kardara
(a.O., Anm. 2); H . Walter, Samos 5 (Bonn, 1968); WalterKarydi (a.O., Anm. 71); ferner hier Anm. 20.
78. Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, i54ff, Ο V R 19-31, Abb. 66~72a;
I58ff. passim.
79. Paris, Louvre CA 350 (E 658): C VA Frankreich 1, Louvre 1, II De,
Taf. 6, 7 = Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 152, Ο V R 9, Abb. 60.
80. Sie blicken sich jedoch nicht an, sondern wenden sich den
„Rücken" zu. Vgl. eine Goldmünze mit Sphinx- und Greifen
protome, ebenfalls voneinander abgewendet: E. Langlotz, Stu
dien zur nordostgriechischen Kunst (Mainz, 1975), 30, Taf. 2.5.
81. Heraion Κ 5986: Brize, 66, Taf. 22.1.
82. Α. E. Furtwängler, A M 95 (1980), Taf. 55; Profilzeichnung des
Flötenspielers: ibid., 194, Abb. 11.
83. Verwandte Knaufformationen: I . Bolz-Augenstein, Hrsg.,
Kunstschätze aus dem Irak, Ausstellungskatalog Köln (Köln,
1965), Nr. 123, Abb. 48; W. Orthmann, Der alte Orient, Propy
läen Kunstgeschichte, Bd. 14 (Frankfurt, 1975), Abb. 259,
381a; M . J. Mellink, AJA 69 (1965), Taf. 36.5; T. Özgü , Altintepe 2 (Ankara, 1969), Taf. 32f.; R. D. Barnett, A Catalogue of
the Nimrud Ivories with Other Examples of Ancient Near Eastern
Ivories in the British Museum (London, 1957), Taf. 131;
E. Akurgal, Orient und Okzident (Baden-Baden, 1966), 183,
Abb. 117. Verwandter Ohransatz: Orthmann, a.O., Farbtaf. 30;
Akurgal, a.O., 99, Fig. 63; ders. Die Kunst der Hethiter (Mün
chen, 1976), Abb. i n .
84. s. Anm. 76.
85. Kardara (a.O., Anm. 2), 86, Abb. 55; Dierichs, Bild des Greifen,
i82ff, Ο V sonst 12.
86. The Anatolian Civilisations, Bd. 2 (Istanbul, 1983), Β 66 (Aus
stellungskatalog); E. Akurgal, Alt-Smyrna 1 (Ankara, 1983),
142, Taf. 108b; ders., Griechische und römische Kunst in der Türkei
(München, 1987), Taf. 3c (Farbabbildung); Dierichs, 20,
Nr. 18, Abb. 6.
87. H. Walter, Samos 5 (Bonn, 1968), Taf. io8f, Abb. 43 = Die
richs, Bild des Greifen, 151, Ο V R 2 (hier Abb. 18).
88. Samos B.470; B.554; B.84: U. Jantzen, Griechische Greifenkessel
(Berlin, 1955), Nr. 36, 40, Taf. 13.3, 14.3; ders., A M 73 (1958),
Beil.31; Samos, B.1873: Η. P. Isler, Samos 6 (Bonn, 1978),
Nr. 17, Taf. 38.17. Das Exemplar aus Olympia, B.5650: H.-V.
Herrmann, OlForsch 11 (Berlin, 1979), 37, G 69, Taf. 42.2-3.
89. Jantzen (a.O., Anm. 88), Taf. 22.1-4; s. auch Herrmann (a.O.,
Anm. 88), 2i6f. (Register zu Samos). Verweisen möchte ich
hier noch auf eine tönerne Greifenprotome ostgriechischer
Prägung aus Gravisca, die dem Malibu-Greifen sehr ähnlich
ist. D. Ridgway, ARepLondon, 1979-1980, 66, Abb. 16; H.-V.
Herrmann, Jdl 99 (1984), 32, Anm. 92.
90. Jantzen (a.O., Anm. 88), 62, 64.
91. Vgl. noch spätarchaische Beispiele mit diesem kanonischen
Kopftypus: etwa die Greifen auf den Verkleidungsplatten aus
Düver, s. Anm. 66.
92. Ein sehr schwierig zu datierendes Stück scheint mir ein voll
plastischer Greifenkopf aus Kalkstein zu sein: Basel, Münzen
und Medaillen, Auktion 40 (13-12-1969), 96, Nr. 162 mit Abb.
(Anfang 6. Jahrhundert) = Delplace, Griffon, Fig. 2i9ff. (klas
sisch, hellenistisch).
93. D. Ohly, AM 66 (1941), Taf. 11.416 (sechs Bildfelder, jeweils
ein Krieger mit einem Toten über den Schultern); zu sami?
54
Dierichs
sehen Tonmatrizen: ibid., 35.
94. Ohly (a.O., Anm. 93), Taf. 34.1372 = ders., AM 68 (1953),
Beil. 41.
95. Schefold (a.O., Anm. 67), Abb. 17; B. Freyer-Schauenburg,
Elfenbeine aus dem samischen Heraion (Hamburg, 1966), 4, 14,
3off., 124, Taf. 6a; Hampe und Simon (a.O., Anm. 36),
Abb. 348; H . Kyrieleis, Führer durch das Heraion von Samos
(Athen, 1981), Abb. 27. Zum möglicherweise noch nicht end
gültig geklärten Landschaftsstil dieses Reliefs: Hampe und
Simon (a.O., Anm. 36), 229.
96. Freyer-Schauenburg (a.O., Anm. 95), 6, 15, 45f, 123, Taf. 10
(hier Abb. 19).
97. H . Kyrieleis, AA, 1980, 348, Abb. 18; U. Sinn, AM 97 (1982),
35ff, Taf. 11.1-3, 12.1-2; ders., AM 100 (1985), Taf. 40. J. Burr
Carter (Greek Ivory Carving in the Orientalizing and Archaic
Periods [New York, 1985], 258ff, Abb. 95) charakterisiert den
betreffenden Kopf allgemeiner als ,, ostgriechisch."
98. Η. Walter, Deltion 18 (1963), Chronika I I 291, Taf. 335b; ders.,
Das griechische Heiligtum (München, 1965), 66, Abb. 67;
G. Kopeke, AM 82 (1967), 106, Abb. 1; Beil. 48-51; H.-V.
Herrmann in: Wandlungen: Studien zur antiken und neueren
Kunst. Festschrift für E. Homann-Wedeking (Waldsassen, 1975),
Taf. 4d (hier Abb. 20).
99. Kassel, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen S 54 (hier Abb. 21):
R. Tolle, Die antike Stadt Samos (Mainz, 1969), Abb. 50: um
560 v.Chr.; U. Sinn, Antike Terrakotten, Kataloge der Staatlichen
Kunstsammlungen, Kassel, Nr. 8 (Kassel, 1977), 43, Nr. 86,
Taf. 27: um 500 v.Chr.
100. C. Rolley, Die griechischen Bronzen (München, 1984), 114.
101. s. Anm. 58.
102. Vgl. Α. E. Furtwängler, AM 96 (1981), 91 (in Bezug auf ein in
Samos gefundenes Stierblech, Abb. 8, a.O.; Taf 24). Interes
sant in diesem Zusammenhang erscheint mir ein aus der Mitte
des 7. Jahrhunderts stammendes, samisches Bronzeblech mit
einem Flügelpferd. Samos, Β 446: Η. Walter und K. Vierneisel, AM 74 (1959), 18, Beil. 28. Die von U. Jantzen (Samos 8
[Bonn, 1972], 53) angenommene phrygische Faktur des
Flügelpferd-Blechs überzeugt mich nicht. Zustimmen möchte
ich hingegen F. Prayon, der das betreffende Stück für
westanatolisch-griechisch hält (persönliche Mitteilung, 1985);
zur phrygischen Plastik: F. Prayon, Phrygische Plastik (Tubin
gen, 1987).
103. Eine Klassifizierung, die auch durch die Tatsache unterstützt
wird, daß das seit etwa fünfzig Jahren systematisch erforschte
Heraion von Samos die an Bronzen reichste Stätte des ostgrie
chischen Raumes ist, die bis hin zum Sturz des Polykrates (522
v.Chr.) von allergrößter Bedeutung bleibt. Vgl. hierzu: Rolley
(a.O., Anm. 100), 114. W. Fuchs undj. Floren, Die geometrische
und archaische Plastik, Die griechische Plastik, Bd. 1 (München,
1987), bes. 358. Auch ein Verweis auf die monumentale Altar
architektur mit Reliefsphingen im Heraion von Samos scheint
mir an dieser Stelle angebracht: vgl. H. Schleif, AM 58 (1933),
I74ff; E. Buschor, AM 72 (1957), 24fr.; U. Sinn, AM 99
(1984), 79.
104. Meine früher vorgeschlagene Datierung für das PotniaGreifen-Blech (Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 214: 2. Hälfte des 7.
Jahrhunderts) ist entschieden zu hoch. Im folgenden zitiere ich
einige andere Datierungen. Wende vom 7. zum 6. Jahrhun
dert, bzw. um 600 v.Chr.: H.-V. Herrmann, Olympia: Heilig
tum und Wettkampfstätte (München, 1972), 88f; um 600 v.Chr.:
K. Fittschen, Untersuchungen zum Beginn der Sagendarstellungen
bei den Griechen (Berlin, 1969), 119; Brize, 83; frühes 6. Jahr
hundert: F. Matz, Geschichte der griechischen Kunst, Bd. 1
(Frankfurt, 1950), 498; 2. Viertel des 6. Jarhunderts: Payne,
23of; A. Akerström, Die architektonischen Terrakotten Kleina
siens (Lund, 1966), 89; Eals, 77; Fuchs und Floren (a.O.,
Anm. 103), 368.
105. Vgl. Brize, bes. 77.
106. Literatur zu archaischen Votivpinakes: U. Hausmann, Grieschische Weihreliefs (Berlin, i960), isff; korinthisch: V. Stais,
AEphem, 1917, 2o8f; E. Rohde, Griechische Terrakotten (Tübin
gen, 1968), 36; H. A. Geagan, AA, 1970, 3iff.; G. Zimmer,
Antike Werkstattbilder (Berlin, 1982), 26ff; attisch: D. Burr,
Hesperia 2 (1933), 604fr.; O. Broneer, Hesperia 7 (1938), 224.iL;
G. Μ. A. Richter, AJA 40 (1936), 304; C. Roebuck, Hesperia 9
(1940), i64ff; melisch: s. Anm. 110; kretisch: s. Anm. 35.
107. Vgl. Vasenbilder mit Votivpinakes (Heiligtümer, Grabkult):
CVA, Deutschland 12, München 4, Nr. 2315, Taf. i9of;
K. Schefold, Jdl 52 (1937), 49, Abb. 10; D. Burr Thompson,
Miniature Sculpture from the Athenian Agora (Princeton, 1967),
Frontispiz; ARV , 685, Nr. 164; 749, Nr. 3; N . Leipen U.A., A
Selection of Greek Vases and Bronzes from the Eixe Borowski Collec
tion: Special Exhibition, Royal Ontario Museum 1984-1985
(Toronto, 1984), Nr. 15 mit Abb.
108. E. Buschor, AM 55 (1930), 46f. Zu den Weihungen einfacher
Leute (Miniaturgreifenprotome aus Bronzeblechschichten) in
das Heraion von Samos: Α. E. Furtwängler, AM 96 (1981), 99,
Taf. 31.1, Abb. 10 = Dierichs, 25, 30, Nr. 1 (Ο Β 4); vgl. in
diesem Zusammenhang U. Krön, in Festschrift f. Inan (Istan
bul, 1989), 373ff.
109. s. Anm. 86, 93.
110. Die große Gruppe der melischen Reliefs, die vorzugsweise
zum Schmuck von hölzernen Kästchen (Grabbeigaben)
gedient haben, entstand zu spät (475-450 v.Chr.), um dem
Malibu-Relief zur Seite gestellt zu werden. Vgl. P. Jacobsthal,
Die melischen Reliefs (Berlin, 1931); G. Bruns, Antike Terrakotten
(Berlin, 1946), 18; G. Μ. A. Richter, Korai (New York, 1968),
265fr. Ein neuerlich bekannt gemachtes ostgriechisches Votiv
aus Andros (A. Cambitoglou, Archaeological Museum of Andros
[Athen, o.J.], Kat. 289, Abb. 49) zeigt Reste einer weiblichen
Figur neben einem kleinen Weihetäfelchen. Bei dem interessanten Stück handelt es sich m.E. sowohl um die einzige
tönerne Darstellung eines Votivreliefs (Pinakes in Vasenbildern sind häufiger, s. Anm. 107) als auch um die singulare
Abbildung eines ,,Pinax im Pinax."
i n . s. Anm. 7, 8.
112. Schefold (a.O., Anm. 67), Taf. 32b.
113. Hampe und Simon (a.O, Anm. 36), 277, Fig. 35 (hier
Abb. 22).
114. J. K. Brock, BSA 44 (1949), i9f, Taf. 7.1-3, 8.4-5; E. Karydi,
AA, 1964, 275; C. Christou, Potnia Theron (Thessaloniki,
1968), 20; Müller, 75, 79; Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, i2off,
Ky V 4; vgl. in diesem Zusammenhang die Goldbleche aus
Delphi als mögliche Gewandverzierung einer delphischen
Trias, Dierichs, Bild des Greifen, 224.
115. U. Jantzen, Bronzewerkstätten in Großgriechenland und Sizilien,
fdl, 13. Ergh. (1937), 2$£., Anm. 1, Taf. 6.29; D. Burr Thompson, Hesperia, Suppl. 8 (1949), 305ff; W. Züchner, Jdl 65-66
(1950-1951), I75ff, bes. 205; E. R. Williams, Hesperia 45
(1976), 4iff, Kat. Nr. 2, Taf. 5.2; Zimmer (a.O., Anm. 106),
35f, Taf. 10, 16.1-2.
116. U. Gehrig, A. Greifenhagen und N . Kunisch, Führer durch die
Antikenabteilung, Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin (Berlin, 1968), 138, F 2294, Abb. S. 74f.; G. S. Korres,
AEphem, 1971, Taf. 52; Zimmer (a.O., Anm. 106), 24, 41,
Abb. 9, Taf. 3.1; P. C. Bol, Antike Bronzetechnik (München,
1984), 129, Abb. 84 (hier Abb. 23).
117. H. Brandenburg und K. Stähler, Kolloquium Archäologisches
Seminar Münster (Herbst, 1985).
118. K. Manchester, Briefliche Nachricht, 3.3.1986.
119. Bol (a.O., Anm. 116), 194.
2
55
Some Ionic Architectural Elements from Selinus
in the Getty Museum
BARBARA A.
BARLETTA
On
T h e G e t t y M u s e u m recently acquired some architec
stylistic and other grounds,
these
pieces
tural elements f r o m the ancient Greek settlement o f
c o u l d date anywhere f r o m the late s i x t h t h r o u g h the
Selinus, o n the southwestern
m i d d l e o f the fifth c e n t u r y B . C . , a l t h o u g h an assign
coast
o f Sicily.
The
material was b r o u g h t t o the U n i t e d States i n the 1920s
m e n t i n the early
fifth
century seems
preferable.
as part o f a private collection. I n c l u d e d a m o n g the
Instructive i n this regard are the profile o f the o v o l o
pieces are some members i n I o n i c style, w h i c h are
and the shape o f its egg-and-dart d e c o r a t i o n . A s a
especially significant as representatives
o f an order
development f r o m the h a l f - r o u n d , the o v o l o displays
T h e I o n i c elements consist o f a c o l u m n base, a
w i t h t i m e . B y the late s i x t h c e n t u r y and c o n t i n u i n g
rarely e m p l o y e d i n the West.
6
an increasingly h i g h e r p o i n t o f greatest p r o j e c t i o n
1
the
fifth
i t takes
on
an
oval
form,
7
d e n t i l b l o c k , and fragments o f t w o different m o l d i n g s .
through
A l l are executed i n a w h i t i s h l i m e s t o n e and are rela
exemplified i n the G e t t y fragments b y the strong p r o
as
t i v e l y small. T h e c o l u m n base (figs, i a , b) comprises
j e c t i o n at the t o p and the taut curve o f the l o w e r p r o
w i t h i n a single piece b o t h the spira and torus as w e l l
file.
2
8
T h e o r n a m e n t l i k e w i s e changes over t i m e : I n
as a s m o o t h astragal and the apophyge o f the shaft.
general, the egg becomes m o r e triangular, each ele
W h i l e its upper surface is m a r k e d b y an e m p o l i o n
ment
c u t t i n g , the torus has an o v o l o p r o f i l e and the t y p i c a l
between the elements increases. Parallels for the treat
horizontal
and the spira takes o n a somewhat
m e n t o f the G e t t y o r n a m e n t range i n date f r o m the
unusual f o r m . Rather than the single scotia o f A t t i c
late s i x t h t o the m i d d l e o f the fifth century. A m o n g
fluting,
is
rendered
in
relief,
another
spacing
the closest
the Samian type, the G e t t y base has three scotiae sepa
M a g n a Graecia, M e t a p o n t i o n , w h i c h is placed i n the
rated b y double arrises. A n o t h e r characteristic o f this
second quarter o f the fifth c e n t u r y B . C .
piece is the sharp profile o f each o f its m o l d i n g s .
fifth
3
is one f r o m
and
bases, the t w o o f Ephesian, or the m u l t i p l e flutes o f
T h e fragmentary d e n t i l b l o c k (fig. 2) l i k e w i s e
examples
greater
9
site i n
B y the late
century, the f o r m s have become m o r e angular
and the spacing m u c h w i d e r than i n the G e t t y o v o l o .
10
incorporates t w o different elements: the d e n t i l course
T h e r e n d e r i n g o f the a n t h e m i o n decorating the
c r o w n e d b y a s m o o t h fascia and an o v o l o base m o l d
second o v o l o l i k e w i s e suggests an assignment for this
i n g carved w i t h an egg and dart. T w o other pieces o f
m o l d i n g w i t h i n the fifth c e n t u r y B . C . Whereas s i x t h -
an o v o l o
4
(fig. 3 a) p r o b a b l y belonged t o the same
c e n t u r y examples usually display w i d e , r o u n d e d leaves
m o l d i n g , since they correspond i n size and rendering.
for
I n a d d i t i o n , there exists a single b l o c k , i n t w o j o i n i n g
flowers,
the palmettes
i n the
fifth
and p l u m p stalks for the lotus
c e n t u r y these f o r m s u n d e r g o a
fragments, f r o m a m o l d i n g o f ovolo profile, b u t carved
general stiffening
with
traits are exemplified here i n the flat, angular petals o f
a series o f alternating lotuses
and
palmettes
and slenderizing process.
Those
r i s i n g above c o n f r o n t e d v o l u t e s (fig. 3 b ) . Each m o t i f
b o t h elements, as w e l l as i n the overall slenderness o f
is c o m p r i s e d o f five petals o f s i m i l a r l y angular shape,
the lotuses. H o w e v e r , i n other ways o u r palmette
5
a l t h o u g h the p a l m e t t e is d i s t i n g u i s h e d b y its greater
stands outside the usual development o f its type. B y
curvature. B e h i n d the ornament, the surface o f this
the
block has been cut d o w n . T h e o r n a m e n t itself, h o w
ornate, w i t h a large n u m b e r o f leaves and considerable
ever, is comparable i n h e i g h t and spacing to that o f the
curvature.
egg and dart.
plified, h a v i n g o n l y five s l i g h t l y bent petals and thus
fifth
century, palmettes have generally become
11
I n contrast, the G e t t y example is s i m
56
Barletta
F I G U R E
ia
Ionic column base. Limestone. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum 82.AA.47.
F I G U R E
ib
Profile of column base, figure ia. Drawing by Tim Seymour after original by Karen Manchester.
Ionic Architectural
F I G U R E
Elements from Selinus
57
2
Dentil block. Limestone. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum 81.AA.144.
resembling m u c h m o r e the adjacent lotuses than other
palmettes.
12
Further indications o f c h r o n o l o g y m a y be
destroyed i n 397 B . C . , and a l t h o u g h its inhabitants
subsequently
resettled i n a nearby l o c a t i o n o n the
given b y the r e n d e r i n g o f the volutes l i n k i n g these
m a i n l a n d o f Sicily, Motya's architectural remains are
elements. I n particular, the harsh t r a n s i t i o n b e t w e e n
generally assumed t o predate the d e s t r u c t i o n .
their raised borders and concave i n t e r i o r s p o i n t s t o a
along w i t h stylistic evidence, led Shoe t o assign the
date i n the first h a l f o f the f i f t h c e n t u r y .
13
21
This,
M o t y a base t o the fifth century B . C . , and apparently
T h r e e separate criteria m a y be used t o d e t e r m i n e
the date o f the G e t t y c o l u m n base: p r o p o r t i o n s , style,
early w i t h i n that c e n t u r y .
22
T h e Selinuntine example
is u n l i k e l y t o be any later.
O v e r t i m e , the I o n i c base
Similarities a m o n g the various G e t t y fragments
u n d e r w e n t certain p r o p o r t i o n a l changes. O n e was the
i n findspot, material, and date raise the p o s s i b i l i t y that
and historical evidence.
gradual increase i n the h e i g h t o f the disc or spira i n
all belonged to a single structure. T h i s w o u l d seem to
relation t o that o f the torus. T h e torus:spira ratio i n
be indicated as w e l l b y the u n i f o r m l y small d i m e n
the G e t t y piece, almost 1:2.5, is characteristic o f e x a m
sions o f these members. Here, however, caution m u s t
1 4
A n o t h e r change occurs
be exercised. T h e o n l y G e t t y pieces suitable for a
w i t h i n the disc, an increase i n h e i g h t i n p r o p o r t i o n to
study o f p r o p o r t i o n a l relationships are the d e n t i l b l o c k
ples executed after 475 B . C .
its diameter. T h e ratio here, 1:3.3, finds c o m p a r i s o n
and the c o l u m n base. I n order t o test t h e i r c o m
w i t h bases datable f r o m the last quarter o f the sixth cen
patibility, w e m u s t compare the relative sizes o f these
t u r y u n t i l after the first quarter o f the f i f t h c e n t u r y .
15
Stylistic considerations p o i n t t o a m o r e specific
pieces w i t h those o f members
from
contemporary
b u i l d i n g s . Yet, d u r i n g the late s i x t h and early
fifth
date w i t h i n this p e r i o d . T h e general development i n
centuries B . C . , l i t t l e architecture was actually p r o
I o n i c bases is t o w a r d increasingly greater concavity i n
duced i n the h o m e l a n d o f the I o n i c style, and w h a t d i d
the f l u t i n g o f b o t h torus and disc, and i n the overall
exist is n o w v e r y f r a g m e n t a r y .
profile o f the disc.
the
closest
16
For the f l u t i n g o f the G e t t y torus,
parallels appear i n the
especially i n the early
fifth
17
and
A k r o p o l i s o f Athens, b u t here regional variations,
such as the s u b s t i t u t i o n o f a frieze for the d e n t i l
carved scotiae o f the disc l i k e w i s e seem m o s t at h o m e
at this t i m e .
1 8
I n its overall profile, the disc displays a
course, render comparisons w i t h o u r material almost
impossible. K e e p i n g i n m i n d the l i m i t a t i o n s o f o u r
p r o n o u n c e d concavity and s t r o n g splay, b o t h o f w h i c h
evidence,
are d o c u m e n t e d i n the s i x t h century, b u t are perhaps
observations.
m o r e t y p i c a l o f the
fifth
century.
19
I o n i c b u i l d i n g s occa
sionally appeared elsewhere, as somewhat later o n the
T h e deeply
late s i x t h
centuries.
23
Such
evidence
w e can nevertheless
offer
the
following
T h r e e I o n i c structures o f the fifth century B . C . ,
allows us t o n a r r o w the c h r o n o l o g i c a l l i m i t s o f the
w h i c h are sufficiently preserved
G e t t y base t o the late s i x t h and, m o r e probably, early
restored, m a y be used for c o m p a r i s o n . These are the
fifth
I o n i c Temple D i n M e t a p o n t i o n , dated about 480-475;
centuries.
A t e r m i n u s ante quern for the piece is suggested
by historical data. A nearly identical base has
been
recovered further west, at the Punic site o f M o t y a , o n
a small island o f f the coast o f S i c i l y .
20
T h a t c i t y was
or can be reliably
the I o n i c t e m p l e at L o k r o i E p i z e p h y r i o i , generally
placed i n the second quarter o f the fifth century; and
the South or K a r y a t i d Porch o f the E r e c h t h e i o n o n the
A t h e n i a n akropolis, erected i n the last quarter o f the
58
Barletta
fifth
century. We m a y also include the Temple o f
incorporated
into
a
building
at
Sybaris
around
A t h e n a Polias at Priene, w h i c h , a l t h o u g h o f consider
530 B . C .
ably later
S o u t h Italy, i n the Temple o f A t h e n a at Paestum and
served.
24
date—-just
Where
after
evidence
350 B . C . — i s
well
is
the
available,
pre
ratios
3 0
I o n i c porches appeared about 510 B . C . i n
perhaps also that o f H e r a at Foce del Sele, as w e l l as
between the w i d t h and spacing o f the dentils and the
i n Sicily, i n a b u i l d i n g o n the akropolis o f G e l a .
diameter o f the c o l u m n bases, o n the one hand, and
A r o u n d the same t i m e , Syracuse began c o n s t r u c t i o n
between the h e i g h t o f the d e n t i l course and that o f the
o f an entire temple i n the Ionic o r d e r .
bases, o n the other, are comparable i n each o f these
century, I o n i c temples made appearances i n S o u t h
b u i l d i n g s t o those o f o u r pieces.
25
32
31
B y the f i f t h
Italy as w e l l , i n as m a n y as four different sites: M e t a
A s s u m i n g , then, that the remains preserved i n
p o n t i o n , L o k r o i , and p r o b a b l y Elea, d u r i n g the first
the G e t t y M u s e u m belonged t o a single b u i l d i n g ,
h a l f o f the century, and the L o k r i a n c o l o n y o f H i p p o -
w h a t evidence do w e have for its appearance? T h e
n i o n i n the second h a l f .
d e n t i l b l o c k w o u l d have served i n the
comparable developments i n Sicily for this p e r i o d , b u t
entablature,
m o s t l i k e l y above the architrave, i n accord w i t h t r a d i
tions
o f Asiatic-Ionic
architecture.
33
O n e w o u l d expect to f i n d
so far that has n o t been the case.
Its o v o l o base
T h a t the I o n i c order c o n t i n u e d to be e m p l o y e d
m o l d i n g w o u l d then c r o w n the architrave. T h e o n l y
in
possible exception occurs i f the b u i l d i n g possessed
remains. Selinus i n particular has y i e l d e d an entire
fifth-century
Sicily
is
clear
from
fragmentary
b o t h dentils and a frieze, i n w h i c h case the frieze
series o f I o n i c capitals spanning the second h a l f o f the
w o u l d appear b e t w e e n the architrave and the d e n t i l
fifth c e n t u r y .
course. Such an arrangement is d o c u m e n t e d o n l y one
votive, instead o f an architectural, f u n c t i o n . T h e t w o
t i m e before the f o u r t h century, i n the I o n i c temple at
capitals that d i d b e l o n g t o a b u i l d i n g are o f v e r y small
Metapontion.
2 6
H o w e v e r , because o f the geographical
p r o x i m i t y o f this S o u t h Italian site t o Selinus, along
34
Yet for the m o s t part these served a
dimensions, suggesting a naiskos or p o r t i c o .
35
Else
where i n Sicily, the site o f Akragas has y i e l d e d a b l o c k
w i t h the nearly c o n t e m p o r a r y d a t i n g o f its b u i l d i n g ,
ornamented w i t h dentils and carved m o l d i n g s i n the
the p o s s i b i l i t y m u s t be raised o f a s i m i l a r c o m p o s i t i o n
I o n i c t r a d i t i o n . H o w e v e r , this b l o c k was apparently
o f the entablature. T h e second m o l d i n g ,
decorated
not used i n the typical manner w i t h i n the entablature,
w i t h a lotus and palmette band i n an i n v e r t e d p o s i
but rather as a w a l l c r o w n , and i n an o t h e r w i s e D o r i c
t i o n , m u s t also have acted as a c r o w n i n g element, as
structure.
shown
p r o j e c t i o n at the top. I f i t
pieces become all the m o r e i m p o r t a n t . T h e y help t o
belonged t o the same structure, i t m i g h t have been
demonstrate the c o n t i n u e d use o f the I o n i c order i n t o
placed above the walls, door, or d e n t i l course,
the early f i f t h c e n t u r y i n Sicilian architecture. F u r t h e r
by its greater
depending
upon
the
architrave and f r i e z e .
27
arrangement,
even
or,
between
T h e c o n f i g u r a t i o n o f the c o l
u m n s i n this b u i l d i n g is l i k e w i s e impossible t o deter
36
Against such a b a c k g r o u n d , the G e t t y
more, they m a y p r o v i d e the m o s t complete evidence
so far available for a
fifth-century
Ionic building on
that island.
m i n e w i t h any certainty. U s i n g the diameter o f the
T h e pieces are also i n f o r m a t i v e i n regard to
base, w e can, however, calculate the h e i g h t o f the c o l
sources o f influence. Remains o f the I o n i c temples at
u m n s at between 3.6 and 4.3 m .
2 8
The columns w o u l d
thus be r o u g h l y comparable t o those o f the A t h e n i a n
Stoa at D e l p h i or the N i k e Temple i n A t h e n s .
29
Such
Syracuse and L o k r o i suggest that for those b u i l d i n g s
m u c h o f the i n s p i r a t i o n came f r o m
Samos or the
nearby coast o f Asia M i n o r . C o l u m n bases are o f the
small supports are m o r e suitable for a p o r c h than for a
Samian type, w h i l e the published f o r m o f the capital
peristyle. N o further evidence
ap
o f the Syracusan temple and the use o f an a n t h e m i o n
pearance or even the possible l o c a t i o n o f the b u i l d i n g
n e c k i n g i n the L o k r i a n b u i l d i n g are b o t h paralleled i n
at Selinus can be discerned.
the so-called Polykratean (fourth) Temple o f Hera at
c o n c e r n i n g the
Despite its s m a l l size, the presence o f an Ionic
Samos, b e g u n i n the later s i x t h c e n t u r y
3 7
A second
structure i n Selinus is significant. For the most part,
area o f influence, a r o u n d n o r t h e r n Asia M i n o r , is i n d i
Sicilian architects used the D o r i c order o f M a i n l a n d
cated b y other I o n i c architectural remains. I n p a r t i c u
Greece.
lar,
W h e r e Ionic, or East Greek,
elements
do
a series o f capitals f r o m b o t h S o u t h Italy and
appear, they are often relegated t o a subsidiary role.
Sicily, d a t i n g f r o m the late s i x t h u n t i l the m i d d l e o f
T o w a r d the end o f the s i x t h century, however,
the
the
fifth
century, is characterized b y a p u r e l y local
p o p u l a r i t y o f the I o n i c style increased d r a m a t i c a l l y i n
c o m b i n a t i o n o f traits, b u t w i t h certain key features,
Western Greek architecture. A sculptured frieze was
such as the abacus, convex canalis, and v o l u t e eye,
Ionic Architectural Elements from Selinus
F I G U R E
59
3a
Ovolo molding. Limestone. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum 81. A A . 146a, b.
F I G U R E
3b
Ovolo molding with lotus and palmette chain. Limestone. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum 81. A A . 146c.
apparently derived f r o m the northeast A e g e a n .
38
I t is
w i t h i n this m o r e n o r t h e r l y t r a d i t i o n that the G e t t y
pieces s h o u l d be p l a c e d .
scotiae.
43
These examples have been dated to the end
o f the s i x t h century,
thus sufficiently early to
be
reflected i n the G e t t y piece.
39
A specific source o f influence i n n o r t h e r n I o n i a is
suggested b y the lotus and palmette decoration o n one
Although
fragmentary,
the I o n i c architectural
remains i n the G e t t y M u s e u m c o n t r i b u t e significantly
o f the m o l d i n g s . Generally, the surface o f an ovolo
to o u r k n o w l e d g e o f Sicilian architecture. T h e y attest
profile is carved w i t h the egg-and-dart ornament. T h e
t o the p o p u l a r i t y o f I o n i c b u i l d i n g s i n Sicily i n t o the
s u b s t i t u t i o n o f an i n v e r t e d
floral
chain, as here, is
early f i f t h
century B . c . T h e i r stylistic associations
unusual. H o w e v e r , i t appears so often o n the island o f
w i t h n o r t h e r n I o n i a demonstrate the c o n t i n u e d i m p a c t
C h i o s that i t is considered
o f this r e g i o n o n the West. M o r e i m p o r t a n t l y , the
a characteristic
o f that
C h i a n connections are further e x e m p l i f i e d i n
G e t t y pieces p o i n t t o a localization o f that influence i n
the G e t t y base. We have already n o t e d that its profile,
Chios. A t the same t i m e , the u n i q u e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f
consisting o f a t r i p l e scotia, is rare. O n l y one close
Eastern models by the Selinuntine architect underlines
school.
40
parallel exists, f r o m the Punic site o f M o t y a . Yet that
once again the creativity and independence o f the
piece is so s i m i l a r t o the G e t t y base that one w o n d e r s
Western Greek architectural t r a d i t i o n .
w h e t h e r i t was n o t the w o r k o f an outside, and p r o b a
b l y Selinuntine, craftsman.
41
O f the t w o major East
Greek schools o f architecture, that centered i n Samos
decorated its bases w i t h a series o f h o r i z o n t a l
w h i l e the Ephesian
flutes,
school made use o f t w o large
scotiae. T h e G e t t y base seems t o represent an i n t e r
mediate f o r m between these t w o traditions. A s i m i l a r
s o l u t i o n is f o u n d o n C h i o s .
42
Remains o f at least three
bases f r o m that island display discs carved w i t h three
U n i v e r s i t y o f Florida
Gainesville
6o
Barletta
NOTES
Abbreviations:
Boardman J. Boardman, "Chian and Early Ionic Architecture,"
Antjw
(1959), pp. 170-218.
Mertens
D. Mertens, RM 86 (1979), pp. 103-139.
I wish to thank Jiri Frei and Marion True, former and current
Curator of Antiquities, respectively, at the J. Paul Getty Museum,
for allowing me to publish these objects. Karen Manchester of the
Department of Antiquities has been especially helpful in answering
questions and providing illustrations. The material was first
brought to my attention by Brunilde S. Ridgway, who also read
and offered valuable comments on the manuscript. Additional
thanks go to Barbara Tsakirgis for her useful suggestions.
1. The acquisition also included architectural elements in Doric
style. I have corresponded with Vincenzo Tusa, retired Super
intendent of Antiquities for Western Sicily, concerning the
existence of these pieces and their Selinuntine origin. He has
no objection to their publication.
2. J. Paul Getty Museum 82.AA.47. Approximate dimensions: H :
30.8 cm; Diam at top: 45.6 cm; Diam at base: 59 cm.
3. J. Paul Getty Museum 81.AA.144. Approximate dimensions:
Max. pres. L: 65.5 cm; H : 16.8 cm; D: 25 cm; Η of ovolo:
5 cm; spacing of eggs: 5.4 cm.
4. J. Paul Getty Museum 81. A A . 146a, b. Approximate dimen
sions: Max. pres. L: 9.1 cm and 11.7 cm; max. pres. H : 4.6 cm
to 4.7 cm; spacing of eggs: 5.5 cm. It should be noted that the
ovolo molding is not preserved to its entire original height.
5. J. Paul Getty Museum 81.AA.146c. Approximate dimensions:
Max. pres. L: 22.3 cm; max. pres. H : 4.9 cm; spacing of motif:
5.4 cm.
6. It is generally acknowledged that moldings change over time,
both in their profiles and in the renderings of their ornament.
Dates associated with those changes are, however, only
approximate. Regional variations and other factors may play a
significant role in determining profile, as pointed out by both
L. T. Shoe, Profiles of Greek Mouldings (Cambridge, Mass.,
936), p. 13, and Boardman, p. 212. Another potential source
of information, the relationship of height, width, and spacing
of dentils, has recently been shown to be of little use in assess
ing chronology or even regional associations. See P. Roos,
"Observations on the Internal Proportions of the Ionic Dentil
in the Aegean," RA, 1976, pp. 103-112, esp. p. no.
7. Shoe (above, note 6), pp. 15, 22.
8. Profile drawings are not available for the Getty moldings.
Observations presented here are based on photographs and
should not be considered conclusive. We may cite as parallels,
however, two moldings from Metapontion. Published photo
graphs of two roofs show on each an ovolo molding fairly
similar to that of the Getty example. Roof Β is dated to the
first quarter of the fifth century, and Roof A is apparently
placed 480-450 B . C . (D. Mertens, in Neue Forschungen in
griechischen Heiligtümern [Tübingen, 1976], p. 178 and figs. 6-7;
NSc 29 [1975], Suppl., pp. 344-352).
9. A molding from the island of Naxos, dated 530-520 B . C . , is
comparable in the strong plasticity and independent rendering
of the egg, as well as in the spacing of the individual elements.
See G. Gruben, MJb 23 (1972), p. 8 and fig. 9. Similar traits are
also found in a molding from Thessalonike, associated with an
early fifth-century temple perhaps dedicated to Dionysos
(G. Bakalakis, "Therme—Thessaloniki," AntK, Beiheft 1
[1963], p. 33 and pi. 18.2, 3). Perhaps the closest parallel for
the execution and spacing of both eggs and darts appears in
the ovolo of Roof A from Metapontion, discussed above
(note 8). This molding is particularly significant for our study
because of its geographical origin in Magna Graecia.
J
10. The wider spacing of late fifth-century ovolos is exemplified
by those of the Erechtheion. See J. M . Paton et al., The Erechtheum (Cambridge, Mass., 1927), pp. 211-212, fig. 139.
11. Boardman, pp. 192-193. E. Buschor, A M 58 (1933), pp. 43-46,
also discusses the development of palmettes, but on grave
stelai, during the Early Classical period.
12. In fact, the only difference between the palmettes and lotuses
of the Getty molding lies in the arrangement of the petals, not
in their forms.
13. Note, for example, an anthemion molding in the Argos
Museum dated to the first or second decade of the fifth cen
tury: J. des Courtils, BCH 107 (1983), pp. 133-148; a fifthcentury anthemion from the Herakleion on Thasos: Ecole
frangaise dAthenes, Guide de Thasos (Paris, 1968), p. 72 and
fig. 39; as well as two moldings from Chios: Boardman,
pp. 191—193, pi. 30, moldings G and J, dated to the first quarter
of the fifth century and toward the middle of the fifth century,
respectively. See also J. Boardman, Excavations in Chios 19521955 (London, 1957), p. 78.
14. According to the table published by Boardman, p. 184. The
Ionic temple from Lokroi, dated by Boardman to the mid-fifth
century and listed with the proportion 1:2.25, is the latest
example listed before the early Imperial peripteron from
Samos, for which the proportion is 1:2.5. No explanation is
given for this gap. By its proportions, the Getty base would fit
somewhere between these two monuments. It should be
noted, however, that the Ionic temple at Lokroi has recently
been redated to the period 480-470 B . C . : G. Gullini, La cultura
architettonica di Locri Epizefirii (Taranto, 1980), p. 104.
15. Boardman, p. 184, and B. Wesenberg, Kapitelle und Basen
(Düsseldorf, 1971), p. 125. Using Boardman s table, the pro
portions of the disc would once again place the Getty base
later than the Ionic temple at Lokroi and before the early
Imperial Samian peripteron. Although Boardman gives a ratio
for the Lokrian temple disc of 1:3.75, Gullini (above, note 14),
p. 92, suggests that it is 1:3.6. In addition, as both Boardman
and Wesenberg indicate, ratios similar to ours are found in
bases from the Klazomenian and Massiliot treasuries at Del
phi, both of which are datable within the last third or quarter
of the sixth century. Because so little evidence is available for
the change in ratios over time, we must accept a wide latitude
in these dates.
16. Boardman, pp. 175-176; Wesenberg (above, note 15), pp. 117,
126-127. This development in the profile of the disc pertains
to the Samian type, of which the Getty base, according to
Wesenberg, may be considered a variant. Both Boardman and
Wesenberg note that regional variations also play a role in
determining the treatment of the flutes. Even the shape of the
torus, that is, whether the greater diameter appears in the
upper or lower half of the profile, seems to be a result of
location rather than chronology, as often assumed.
17. Perhaps the closest parallel is to be found in a base from Thes
salonike dated to the beginning of the fifth century: Bakalakis
(above, note 9), p. 33, fig. 2. Additional, but less closely
related, examples appear in the late sixth century at Chios and
toward the end of the first quarter of the fifth century at
Metapontion in South Italy. See Boardman, p. 182, no. 34 and
fig. ic, and Mertens, fig. 2, respectively.
18. Two bases from Chios show strongly concave scotiae already
in the sixth century (Shoe [above, note 6], pi. 72.8, dated to
the second half of the sixth century; Boardman, pp. 182-184,
nos. 35, 36 [same as Shoe], figs, ic, d, respectively, both dated
to the late sixth century). On the other hand, a late sixthcentury base from Pantikapaion on the Black Sea, which is
very similar to the Getty base in composition, displays rela
tively shallow scotiae (Wesenberg [above, note 15], pp. 119,
Ionic Architectural
19.
125). Most significant for our study is a nearly identical base
from the nearby Sicilian site of Motya. See J. I . S. Whitaker,
Motya: A Phoenician Colony in Sicily (London, 1921), p. 200 and
fig. 26, and L. T. Shoe, Profiles of Western Greek Mouldings
(Rome, 1952), pp. 17, 180, 182, and pi. 31.14. Whitaker does
not offer a date for the piece; Shoe offers two: the sixth cen
tury (p. 17) and the fifth century (pp. 180, 182).
These characteristics appear in the sixth century in a base from
Delos (Shoe [above, note 6], pp. 155, 180, and pi. 71.26;
Wesenberg [above, note 15], pp. 118, 126, fig. 240). However,
they would seem to be more typical of the fifth century, as
exemplified in a base from the Athenian akropolis, dated by
recent studies to the early fifth century (Wesenberg [above,
note 15], p. 127) or sometime between 500 and 450 B . C .
(Boardman, p. 184), and in early fifth-century bases from the
Polykratean Heraion on Samos (O. Reuther, Der Heratempel
von Samos [Berlin, 1957], reviewed by F. Ε. Winter, AJA 64
[i960], pp. 89-95,
dates the bases in question to the
beginning of the fifth century [p. 91]).
Above, note 18.
Controversy has arisen lately in regard to the dating of certain
architectural remains, including the so-called House of the
Mosaics. On the basis of its plan and mosaic decoration,
V. Tusa has argued for a date in the middle or even second half
of the fourth century, thus indicating construction in the area
following the 397 B . C . destruction. Such an argument is sig
nificant for our study because it negates the long-accepted
terminus ante quern for material found on the island. It also
raises the possibility of a later date for the Ionic base, since it
was in fact recovered in the vicinity of the House of the
Mosaics. However, Whitaker did not associate the base with
the house itself, nor does Tusa, in his re-evaluation of the
house, suggest any change in the dating of the base. See
especially V. Tusa, "Mozia dopo il 397 B . C . , " in Mozia, vol. 3
(Rome, 1967), pp. 85—95, and his subsequent discussions in
Mozia, vol. 5 (Rome, 1969), pp. 7-34, and Mozia, vol. 6
(Rome, 1970), pp. 51-62. Note also the reaction to Tusa's argu
ment in B. S. J. Isserlin and J. du Plat Taylor, Motya, vol. 1
(Leiden, 1974), pp. 89-90.
As discussed above (note 18), Shoe gives two different dates
for the Motya base. Since she wavers between the sixth and
fifth centuries but seems to prefer the latter, we may perhaps
interpret the fifth-century assignment as referring to an early
part ofthat century.
See, for example, the brief survey given by W B. Dinsmoor,
The Architecture of Ancient Greece (London, 1950), p. 136.
Boardman, p. 212, suggests that the apparent scarcity of fifthcentury Asiatic Ionic architecture may arise at least in part
from the incorrect assignment of buildings to the sixth cen
tury B . C . A good discussion of the evidence for fifth-century
Ionic architecture in Mainland and Western Greece, as well as
the East, is provided by Mertens, pp. 122-125.
Ionic Temple (D), Metapontion: Mertens, pp. 103-139. Ionic
Temple at Lokroi: E. Petersen, RM 5 (1890), pp. 161-227;
R. Koldewey and O. Puchstein, Die griechischen Tempel in
Unteritalien und Sicilien (Berlin, 1899), pp. 1—8; Gullini (above,
note 14), pp. 45-109. The Erechtheion: Paton et al. (above,
note 10). Temple of Athena Polias, Priene: T. Wiegand and
H. Schräder, Priene (Berlin, 1904), pp. 88-104. Even many of
the fourth-century Ionic buildings are too fragmentary to be
used for comparison, as for example, the Propylon at
Samothrace, where the column bases are lacking (below,
note 26, p. 59), or the Temple of Hemithea at Kastabos, which
has yielded no dentils and may in fact have had none (J. M .
Cook and W. H. Plommer, The Sanctuary of Hemithea at Kasta
bos [Cambridge, 1966], pp. 96-102).
w
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
n
o
Elements from Selinus
61
25. For the Lokroi temple, the dimensions given by different
sources may vary considerably, particularly in regard to the
dentils. Koldewey and Puchstein (above, note 24) state that
each dentil is 11.5 cm wide. On the other hand, Gullini (above,
note 14) shows an equal width for each dentil and its adjoining
space and gives a dimension for both of 33 cm; thus the dentil
itself would be 16.5 cm wide. Since no fragment of the dentil
course is now extant, these measurements cannot be verified,
but it is very unlikely that the dentils and spaces are of equal
size. I have therefore chosen to use Koldewey and Puchsteins
dimensions for the dentil and to calculate the interval as
approximately two-thirds of the dentil width, as found in the
other temples noted above. The South or Karyatid Porch of the
Erechtheion has, of course, human figures in place of columns.
Since they do not stand on bases, I have substituted the average
dimension of the length and width of the plinths beneath their
feet for the base diameter. The porch was not used in compar
ing the relative heights of the dentil course and base.
26. Mertens, pp. 103-139. There is some controversy as to the date
of the next appearance of a frieze and dentil course within the
same entablature. The combination has been identified in the
Temple of Messa on Lesbos, which, according to Plommer,
may date as early as 400 B . C . (H. Plommer, "The Temple of
Messa on Lesbos," in L. Casson and M . Price, eds., Coins,
Culture, and History in the Ancient World [Detroit, 1981],
pp. 177—186). On the other hand, P. W. Lehmann argues that
the Propylon to the Temenos at Samothrace marks the earliest
appearance of the frieze and dentils together (P. W. Lehmann
and D. Spittle, The Temenos, Samothrace, vol. 5 [Princeton,
1982], esp. pp. 113-118). She discounts an early fourth-century
date for the Messa Temple, assigning it instead to the Hellenis
tic period, and follows others in suggesting that the frieze is
"misplaced." The date she gives for the Propylon, about
340 B . C . , would make it slightly older than the Philippeion at
Olympia, long considered to be the first building to display
the combination of frieze and dentils, and the Monument of
Lysikrates in Athens. Such evidence would make the
Samothracian propylon the earliest fourth-century example of
this feature, but not, as Lehmann asserts, the earliest overall.
27. Boardman (above, note 13), p. 78, proposes the first two uses
for a molding from Chios with a similar profile and decora
tion. He assigns its slightly larger counterpart to the architrave
crown.
28. The ratio of lower diameter to column height in Ionic build
ings of the late sixth and early fifth centuries B . C . usually
varies between 1:8 and 1:9.5. See Mertens, pp. 138—139, for a
table of proportions.
29. Ibid. It should be noted that an argument has recently been
made for redating the Athenian Stoa at Delphi between 460
and 450 B . C . : J. Walsh, "The Date of the Athenian Stoa at
Delphi," AJA 90 (1986), pp. 319-336.
30. P. Zancani Montuoro, AttiMGrecia 13-14 (1972-1973), pp. 62-66.
31. Temple of Athena, Paestum: F. Krauss, Der Athenatempel, Die
Tempel von Paestum, vol. 1 (Berlin, 1959). Temple of Hera,
Foce del Sele: P. Zancani Montuoro and U. Zanotti-Bianco,
Heraion alia Foce del Sele, vol. 1 (Rome, 1951), pp. 104-105.
Geloan Porch: D. Adamesteanu, NSc 14 (i960), pp. 79-82, and
most recently B. Barletta, RM 92 (1985), pp. 9-17. In addition,
a block preserving part of a two-fascia architrave and moldings
may represent the remains of a late sixth-century Ionic struc
ture at Katane: G. Libertini, 17 Museo Biscari (Milan, 1930),
p. 81, no. 185, pi. 41; Shoe (above, note 18), pp. 150-151, 177178, pi. 26.1. Further west, the site of Massalia has yielded an
Ionic capital that once served an architectural function, but no
other evidence of the building has been found. The piece has
been dated as early as 540 B . C . (F. Benoit, RA 43 [1954],
62
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
Β arietta
pp. 17-43), although others have placed it in the late sixth or
even early fifth century B . C . (Boardman [above, note 13],
p. 211, and P. Pederson, "Zwei ornamentierte Säulenhälse aus
Halikarnassos," Jdl 98 [1983], pp. 87-121, esp. pp. 111-112,
respectively).
G. V. Gentiii, Palladio 17 (1967), pp. 61-84. The temple is not
yet fully published. The reconstruction of a capital in the
exhibit in the Palazzo Vermexio differs from that given by
Gentili in the presence of an eye rather than a simple point as
the termination of the volute, but no explanation is provided.
Metapontion: Mertens, pp. 103-137, and D. Adamesteanu et
al., BdA 60 (1975), pp. 26-49. Elea: see Mertens, p. 125.
Lokroi: above, note 24. Hipponion: P. Orsi, NSc, 1921,
pp. 473-485·
D. Theodorescu, Chapiteaux ioniques de la Sicile meridionale
(Naples, 1974), pp. 13-20, 40-42, nos. n-v, dated from the
middle to the end of the fifth century or beginning of the
fourth century B . C .
As noted by Theodorescu (above, note 34), p. 20. It is unclear
from the circumstances of discovery exactly how the column
base from Motya was employed. Along with other architec
tural elements found nearby, it may have comprised the inven
tory of a workshop. See Whitaker (above, note 18), pp. 194—200.
P. Marconi, Agrigento arcaica (Rome, 1933), p. 122, who assigns
this block to Temple G (Vulcan), dated by him in the last third
of the fifth century B . c . Marconi also notes the existence at
Akragas of other cornices with dentils but does not assign
dates to them. Shoe (above, note 18), p. 108, pi. 17.10, labels
the block a frieze crown or epikranitis, and places it slightly
later, between 425 and 406 B . C .
Temple of Hera IV (Polykratean Heraion): Reuther (above,
note 19). The beginning of construction on this building is
traditionally dated to the time of Polykrates, about 530 B . C .
Recent excavation has shown, however, that only the founda
tions of the cella date to this period, while the majority of the
building was not begun until the end of the sixth century
(JHS-Archaeological Reports, 1989-1990, p. 68). Even so, con
struction was interrupted periodically and never reached com
pletion. Pederson, in his discussion of the development of the
anthemion necking (above, note 31, esp. pp. 112—119) attributes
the origin of this feature to Samos. He suggests that it was
first introduced in bronze, perhaps on Hekatompedon I , and
appeared in stone with the Polykratean temple. According to
this argument, even the earliest known anthemion necking—
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
from the Temple of Apollo at Naukratis, dated to the second
quarter of the sixth century B.C.—would be dependent on
Samian prototypes. The Lokrian necking would likewise
result from Samian influence, but reflect a variant group in the
substitution of simple volutes for the lyre motif. It should also
be noted that the Ionic temple at Metapontion bears a relief
necking, although it is decorated with a running spiral between
meanders. Other, but less thorough, discussions of the anthe
mion necking are presented by A. Peschlow-Bindokat, "Ein
hellenistisches Säulenhalsstück in Gelibolu," in U. Höckmann
and A. Krug, eds., Festschrift für Frank Brommer (Mainz, 1977),
pp. 237-240, and Lehmann and Spittle (above, note 26),
pp. 106-111.
Such capitals are known from Paestum, Gela, and Massalia in
the sixth century, and from Metapontion and Lokroi during
the fifth century B . C . See Barletta (above, note 31).
It should be kept in mind that our evidence for regional varia
tions in Ionic architecture during this period is still limited. In
particular, the Cycladic tradition remains imprecisely known
but, if the sixth-century Ionic temple in Naxos may be used as
an example, important contributions can be expected from
this area. For the Naxian temple, see G. Gruben, AA, 1972,
ρρ· 319-379·
Boardman, pp. 193, 196-197, has determined that such mold
ings first appeared on Chios in the late sixth century and
continued at least until the middle of the fifth century B . C .
Considerable evidence exists for the presence of Greek work
men at Motya. An example is the House of the Mosaics,
which is believed by Whitaker to have been constructed by
Greeks, although it may be much later in date than the column
base (above, note 21). Material recovered near the base
included components of the Doric and Corinthian, thus
Greek, architectural orders. The Doric order is represented at
Motya even in the Archaic period by a capital, the profile of
which is most closely paralleled in examples from Temple F at
Selinus: Isserlin and du Plat Taylor (above, note 21), pp. 70-72.
Boardman, p. 182, refers to this type of base as "a Chian
compromise" between the Samian and Ephesian traditions. As
noted above (note 16), Wesenberg has classified it as a variant
of the Samian type.
Boardman, pp. 182-183, nos. 35-37, figs, ic, d. Chios has also
produced fragments of at least one base with four scotiae
(idem, pp. 173-174, no. 11, fig. ia).
63
Bellerophon and the Chimaira i n Malibu:
A Greek M y t h and an Archaeological Context
HERBERT
HOFFMANN
A Tarentine box-bezel r i n g o f the f o u r t h c e n t u r y B . C .
framed by a plain w i r e and a "rope b r a i d " — t w o plain
i n the G e t t y M u s e u m (figs, i a - c ) is the subject o f this
wires t i g h t l y t w i s t e d and laid side by side so as to
article. I shall describe, attribute, and date the object,
appear as b r a i d i n g (see fig. 2.c).
and then m o v e o n to some m o r e recondite issues.
T h e ring's h o o p is made o f a w i r e core to w h i c h
1
several rows o f " r o p e b r a i d i n g " are applied, p r o d u c i n g
DESCRIPTION A N D TECHNOLOGICAL
COMMENTARY
the effect o f a plaited chain. A t each end, where the
T h e f o l l o w i n g d e s c r i p t i o n is based o n a m e t h o d o l o g i
h o o p j o i n s the bezel, i t is capped by a " c u f f " cut f r o m
cal m o d e l developed by Patricia F. D a v i d s o n and
a n a r r o w sheet o f f o i l to w h i c h rows o f beaded w i r e ,
myself
" r o p e b r a i d , " p l a i n w i r e , and p o i n t e d tongues
(1965).
for
2
the
catalogue
W h i l e the ensuing
p u b l i c a t i o n Greek
Gold
d e s c r i p t i o n may
seem
are
applied. T h e t w o " c u f f s " are s u r m o u n t e d by a p a l
overly p u n c t i l i o u s , i t is designed to enable the student
mette a n t h e m i o n o f fine s t r i p - t w i s t e d wires o n a
to re-create the process o f the ring's crafting as t h o u g h
r o u g h l y cut base sheet curved so as to clasp the bezel
the object were e x a m i n e d under h i g h m a g n i f i c a t i o n .
and mask the brazed j o i n t t o the hoop. T h e t h i c k
For specialist nomenclature see d r a w i n g figure 2.
beaded wires f r a m i n g the t o p and b o t t o m oval sheets
T h e bezel has the shape o f an oval b o x the t o p
sheet o f w h i c h bears a stamped
and applied r e l i e f
mask the seams o f the b o x construction. T h e stamped
B e l l e r o p h o n r e l i e f is fastened i n place by the w i r e
device d e p i c t i n g B e l l e r o p h o n defeating the C h i m a i r a
tendrils f r a m i n g
(fig. ι a). A small three-petal
palmettes,
flower—actually
a rudi
m e n t a r y palmette—rises f r o m the g r o u n d beneath the
Chimaira,
and a rinceau o f t e n d r i l s — o p e n scrolls
made o f short lengths o f fine s t r i p - t w i s t e d w i r e s —
it. The
various
bell-flowers, tongues,
filigree
motifs—
scrolls, t e n d r i l s —
were once i n l a i d w i t h aquamarine and turquoise paste.
Traces o f these f o r m e r inlays r e m a i n i n the petals o f
b o t h palmettes o n the bezel's b o t t o m surface.
rises to the r i g h t and left o f this plant. A plain w i r e
T h e r o u n d hole i n the center o f the b o t t o m sur
and a t h i c k beaded w i r e constitute the oval frame. T h e
face (present also i n the B r i t i s h M u s e u m parallels, see
underside o f the bezel (fig. i b ) — a n oval sheet l i k e the
b e l o w ) served a practical f u n c t i o n : I t p e r m i t t e d the
bezel's top—is finely decorated w i t h t w o
addorsed
escape o f gases d u r i n g j o i n i n g , thereby p r e v e n t i n g the
nine-petal palmettes, t w o bell-shaped flowers p o i n t
seams f r o m b u r s t i n g . T h e reason this precaution was
i n g respectively u p and d o w n , and t w o t i g h t w i r e
necessary has t o do w i t h the closed-box shape o f the
coils to the r i g h t and left, the last manufactured by
r i n g and the chemical nature o f the ancient " w e l d i n g "
t w i s t i n g a flat w i r e back o n i t s e l f and t h e n
flattening
(colloidal hard-soldering) process: A l l p a r t s — i n c l u d
plain
i n g the m y r i a d o f decorative w i r e s — w e r e glued i n
wires bent i n d o u b l e - h e l i x f o r m are arranged i n a c i r
place w i t h a m i x t u r e o f tragacanth and a p o w d e r e d
the cone-shaped
spiral thus
produced.
Four
cle a r o u n d a central hole (see b e l o w ) . Seen as t w o
cupric salt. W h e n the finished assembly was carefully
addorsed pairs, they become the floral calyxes f r o m
heated over a bed o f charcoal embers, the tragacanth
w h i c h the palmettes issue. T h e bezel's sides (fig. i c )
b u r n e d away and the cupric salt ( C u C o ) became cop
are decorated w i t h alternately u p r i g h t and reversed
per ( C u ) , w h i c h l o w e r e d the surface m e l t i n g p o i n t
3
buds—short lengths o f w i r e bent i n t o calyx f o r m —
sufficiently for all j o i n t s to become i n v i s i b l y " w e l d e d "
w i t h a drop-shaped
together.
element set i n the cleave and
framed b y t e n d r i l scrolls. T h i s decorative m o t i f is
T w o thick
wire
clamps,
bent
over
and
" w e l d e d " t o the beaded w i r e frame to the r i g h t and
64
Hoffmann
F I G U R E
F I G U R E
ia
Box-bezel ring. Top. Malibu, J.
Paul Getty Museum 88.AM. 104.
F I G U R E
ib
Underside of box-bezel ring, figure ia.
I C
Side view of box-bezel ring, figure ia.
Bellerophon and the Chimaira in Malibu
65
left o f the central axis (beneath the C h i m a i r a ) , serve
n o f u n c t i o n a l or aesthetic purpose. T h e y were appar
ently added to b r i n g the g o l d content o f the r i n g —
that is, its value—up
to a preestablished
standard,
n a m e l y 8.02 g, or one Tarentine nommos (this b e i n g
the name g i v e n t o the m o s t c o m m o n Tarentine s i l
ver c o i n , equivalent to s l i g h t l y less than one A t t i c
didrachm).
STYLE A N D D A T E
W h i l e the ring's provenance remains u n k n o w n , i t can,
due to the perfect state o f preservation, be assumed t o
be part o f a t o m b deposit. T h e object appears t o be o f
Tarentine w o r k m a n s h i p and to date f r o m the second
h a l f o f the f o u r t h century B . C . T h i s tentative a t t r i b u
t i o n is founded o n a c o m p a r i s o n w i t h three closely
related finger rings i n the B r i t i s h M u s e u m , w h i c h ,
together w i t h the B e l l e r o p h o n r i n g , i n effect f o r m a
cohesive stylistic " g r o u p . " T h e y are illustrated and
discussed by D y f r i W i l l i a m s .
3
1. G R 1872.6-4.146, W i l l i a m s , p. 77, p i . 32.2-3; here
figures 3 a, b. Seated goddess or w o m a n w i t h scep
ter; reverse l i k e G e t t y r i n g . F r o m the T o m b o f the
Taranto Priestess
2. G R 1923.4-21.3, W i l l i a m s , pp. 79-80, p i . 34.1-2.
D a n c i n g maenad. F r o m the Avola hoard
3. G R 1934.11-15.1, W i l l i a m s , pp. 87-88 and note 21,
p i . 38.3-4. N a k e d w o m a n or A p h r o d i t e leaning o n
a pillar. A c c o r d i n g t o D y f r i W i l l i a m s by the same
g o l d s m i t h as the preceding t w o
N u m b e r 1 shares a distinctive " s t y l i s t i c " feature w i t h
the G e t t y r i n g , n a m e l y the palmettes g r o u p e d a r o u n d
the central hole o n the underside.
cance—as
supporting
the
Also o f signifi
argument
for
Tarentine
w o r k m a n s h i p — i s the fact that the w e i g h t o f n u m b e r
i , 7.9 g, tallies closely w i t h the w e i g h t o f the G e t t y
r i n g , b o t h corresponding almost exactly t o the w e i g h t
o f the nommos, or Tarentine standard.
FIGURE 2
Various types of wire used for decoration, a: striptwisted wire, b: two wires entwined into a rope.
c: two ropes laid side by side to form a rope braid.
d: beaded wire, e: spool wire. / · elaboration on
beaded wire, g: elaboration on spool wire, h: spiralspool wire. Drawings by Kurt Hauser after H. Hoff
mann and P. F. Davidson, Greek Gold (note 2 ) , figs.
H - M , R-S.
Somewhat earlier than the preceding rings and
likewise probably
o f Tarentine
workmanship
swivel-bezel r i n g n o w i n B e r l i n ,
acquired
by
is a
the
m u s e u m f r o m the late Charles M o r l e y o f St. M o r i t z ,
Switzerland, and said by h i m (to the w r i t e r ) t o be
f r o m Taren t u r n .
4
5
I n Greek Gold
I w r o t e as follows regarding the
style and provenance o f Late Classical/Early Hellenistic
g o l d j e w e l r y referred to—perhaps overconfidently—as
"Tarentine" i n various catalogue publications:
66
Hoffmann
The development o f Tarentine jewelry runs remark
ably parallel to that o f Northern Greece and Asia
Minor, and virtually every type known from those
areas is represented. The connections between
Greece and Southern Italy i n the field o f jewelry
appear to be so close as to suggest that Greek mod
els were regularly imported and imitated i n much
the same way as today the models o f the "grands
couturiers" in Paris annually set the style for wear
throughout the world; at the same time it is neces
sary for us to ask ourselves whether some o f the
gold objects found i n Greece and Asia M i n o r from
this period may not, perhaps, have come ultimately
from Southern Italy.
FIGURE
3a
T h i s cautious assessment s t i l l seems v a l i d . I therefore
Box-bezel ring. Side view. London, British
Museum GR 1872.6-4.146. Photos courtesy
Trustees of the British Museum.
append f o u r other box-bezel rings w i t h stationary or
turnable bezels that seem to me to b e l o n g i n the w i d e r
p e n u m b r a o f this "Tarentine g r o u p " :
1. P f o r z h e i m , S c h m u c k m u s e u m
i960, 180. D e p p e r t -
L i p p i t z (see note 2), f i g . 113 ( " f r o m Kephallenia")
2. C h r . Alexander, The Art of the Goldsmith in Classical
Times as Illustrated in the Museum
Collection, M e t r o
p o l i t a n M u s e u m ( N e w Y o r k , 1928), p. 19, no. n o
3. T. Hackens, Catalog of the Classical
sical Jewelry,
Collection:
Clas
R h o d e Island School o f D e s i g n ( P r o v i
dence, 1976), no. 38 ( w i t h glass-paste bezel)
4. Melvin
Gutman
Collection
of Ancient
and
Medieval
Gold, Allen Memorial Art Museum Bulletin 18 ( n . d . ) ,
no. 97. For the " b r a i d e d " hoop, cf. also Greek
Gold
(see note 2), no. 101. T h e h i s t o r y o f the box-bezel
r i n g as a type is discussed b y R. A . H i g g i n s , Greek
and Roman Jewellery
FIGURE
( L o n d o n , 1961), pp. 169-170
3b
Top of box-bezel ring, figure 3 a.
THE
ICONOLOGY
T h i s m u c h is tangible and e m p i r i c a l l y verifiable, and
this is as far as m y expertise as an archaeologist w o u l d
n o r m a l l y take me. B u t I a m curious t o k n o w more. A
fundamental question—indeed to me the m o s t i n t e r
esting question that this object poses—has n o t been
dealt w i t h , n a m e l y that o f the f o r m e r f u n c t i o n and
significance o f the r i n g . I t shows n o signs o f wear even
under h i g h m a g n i f i c a t i o n , and i t was e v i d e n t l y quite
n e w w h e n b u r i e d together w i t h the corpse whose f i n
ger i t adorned. F r o m this I conclude that the object
was
specially
purchased—and
indeed
probably
created—to be w o r n b y a m a n or a w o m a n i n his or
her t o m b . Lavish funerals—the destruction o f w e a l t h
by b u r i a l — w e r e the rule rather than the exception i n
semi-"barbarian"
A p u l i a — q u i t e u n l i k e the n o r m i n
Bellerophon and the Chimaira in Malibu
W h a t , then, m i g h t be the reason for B e l l e r o -
frugal Athens, where special legislation l i m i t e d such
expenditures
for the dead. T h e A p u l i a n (Tarentine)
practice o f a d o r n i n g corpses w i t h valuable j e w e l r y
p h o n s decline i n m e t r o p o l i t a n Greece and c o n t e m p o
raneous p r o l i f e r a t i o n abroad, n o t a b l y i n Italy?
corresponds m o r e t o b u r i a l practices k n o w n f r o m B a l
kan
Illyria, a region w i t h w h i c h Apulia maintained
close ties.
6
67
I n searching for an answer, let us next l o o k at the
myth itself
8
T h e f o l l o w i n g is condensed f r o m
Iliad
I s h o u l d l i k e t o k n o w more, i n other
6.155-203, this b e i n g the m o s t detailed early account.
words, about the object's m o r t u a r y context: about the
B e l l e r o p h o n , the descendent o f Sisyphos via Glaukos
meaning
that
the
motif
o f B e l l e r o p h o n and
the
(also
called the
son
o f Poseidon
by H o m e r
and
C h i m a i r a m i g h t have h e l d as a funeral o f f e r i n g — t o be
Hesiod) appears as a suppliant at the c o u r t o f Proitos,
seen and a d m i r e d b y the l i v i n g d u r i n g prothesis
K i n g o f A r g o s , where A n t e i a , Proitos's wife, falls i n
display
o f the
corpse)
but
primarily
(the
intended
to
accompany the deceased i n his or her n e w life.
love w i t h h i m . W h e n he refuses her advances,
she
accuses h i m o f h a v i n g t r i e d to seduce her, and Proitos
I n searching for an answer t o this c o m p e l l i n g
question, m y a t t e n t i o n r i g h t at the outset is riveted b y
believes her story. Yet he hesitates t o k i l l B e l l e r o p h o n ,
and instead
sends the
hero
to his b r o t h e r - i n - l a w
a set o f p u z z l i n g statistics that, w h i l e d u l y registered
Iobates, K i n g o f Lycia, w i t h a sealed letter requesting
by previous investigators, has never been explained:
his e l i m i n a t i o n . Iobates, however, l i k e w i s e does n o t
1. I n the Archaic p e r i o d o f Greek art B e l l e r o p h o n
defeating the C h i m a i r a was, l i k e Herakles w r e s
tling
with
Gorgon,
ographic
the
part
lion
and
Perseus p u r s u i n g
and parcel o f the standard
repertory
o f heroic m y t h .
The
the
icon-
motif
appears o n numerous P r o t o c o r i n t h i a n , C o r i n t h i a n ,
and E a r l y A t t i c vases, and Pausanias 3.18.3 tells us
that i t was f i g u r e d (along w i t h the labors o f H e r
akles
and
o f Perseus) o n B a t h y k l e s ' t h r o n e
of
A p o l l o at A m y k l a i , a w o r k o f about 530 B . C . B e l
l e r o p h o n must, furthermore, at some t i m e have
been w o r s h i p e d at C o r i n t h , for he appears o n C o
r i n t h i a n coinage,
and Pausanias was s h o w n
his
w i s h to k i l l a guest o u t r i g h t and sends B e l l e r o p h o n o n
a series o f missions designed to b r i n g about his death.
A m o n g these is the task o f slaying the C h i m a i r a , a
fire-breathing monster " i n her forepart a l i o n , i n her
hindpart
serpent,
and
i n her
middle a
goat"
sends the
hero the w i n g e d horse Pegasos and A t h e n a provides a
magic bridle. B e l l e r o p h o n is n o w able to overcome the
C h i m a i r a b y spearing her f r o m above, and he goes o n
successfully t o complete the further various dangerous
tasks
assigned
h i m . Iobates
thereupon
recognizes
Bellerophon's d i v i n i t y and repents: H e gives the hero
his daughter i n marriage and h a l f his k i n g d o m .
At
hero-precinct (2.2.4).
a
(Hesiod). T h e gods intervene: Poseidon
this p o i n t i n the
narrative
the
Homeric
account becomes inconsistent and obscure. A f t e r all
2.
Subsequently—in the fifth c e n t u r y B . C . — B e l l e r o phon's i m a g e r y almost disappears f r o m m a i n l a n d
Greece. We k n o w v e r y few representations
o f his
m y t h i n A t h e n i a n red-figured vase-painting o f the
Severe Style and none whatsoever i n A t t i c f o u r t h century. T h e hero's iconography " s u r v i v e s " o n the
periphery o f the Greek w o r l d , however: i n t w o
" M e l i a n " terracottas, o n a silver cup f r o m
Russia, and i n the C h i m a i r a f r o m A r e z z o .
South
7
his marvelous accomplishments—defeating the A m a
zons and the S o l y m i , k i l l i n g the C h i m a i r a , m a r r y i n g
Iobates'
daughter
and
fathering three
c h i l d r e n by
h e r — B e l l e r o p h o n suddenly and w i t h o u t w a r n i n g is
said i n lines 200-203
(the end o f the B e l l e r o p h o n
digression) t o be "hated by all the g o d s " and t o have
gone o n henceforth " w a n d e r i n g alone," " a v o i d i n g the
paths o f m e n . " T h i s seems v e r y strange, indeed, for
Greek heroes are usually called the beloveds o f the
3. Precisely at the t i m e o f his eclipse i n Athens and
gods. T h e y n o r m a l l y die v i o l e n t l y and go o n t o take
m a i n l a n d Greece—and this is w h a t I f i n d so i n t e r
their place at the i m m o r t a l s ' eternal s y m p o s i u m . B e l
esting and b e g g i n g for an
explanation—Beller
l e r o p h o n , i n contrast, s i m p l y fades away. W h a t c o u l d
o p h o n is i m m e n s e l y p o p u l a r i n S o u t h Italy. There
have happened t o o u r hero t o w a r r a n t such an abrupt
are m o r e than t h i r t y representations
and i n g l o r i o u s end t o his p r o m i s i n g career?
o f the hero
defeating the C h i m a i r a o n the f o u r t h - c e n t u r y vases
Pindar, that eloquent spokesman
o f conserva
o f T a r e n t u m alone. N o single deed o f Herakles,
t i s m i n politics, morals, and r e l i g i o n — a n d prolific
that m o s t u b i q u i t o u s o f all Greek heroes, is repre
c o m m e n t a t o r o n H o m e r i c m y t h — o f f e r s w h a t seems a
sented
in
examples.
Magna
Grecia
in
nearly
so
many
plausible explanation: I n the seventh
Isthmian
Ode,
p r o b a b l y w r i t t e n i n 456 B . C . , he takes u p the story
where the H o m e r i c account leaves off. True t o his
68
Hoffmann
deep-rooted
sumptuous,
b e l i e f that
the
gods p u n i s h
the
pre
the poet has the w i n g e d horse Pegasos
t h r o w o f f his rider, " w h o w o u l d have ascended to
B e l l e r o p h o n is c r o w n e d by Eros and by N i k e ;
he
is surrounded
by
by satyrs; he is even w e l c o m e d
D i o n y s o s h i m s e l f O n the G e t t y r i n g w e see B e l l e r
heaven" (46). T h e r e follows a characteristically P i n
o p h o n and the C h i m a i r a as o n n u m e r o u s South Italian
daric m o r a l p r o n o u n c e m e n t : luku pikrotata menei teleu-
vases: celestial hero above, terrestrial (chthonic) m o n
ta, "a
is
ster below, their vertical above/below a l i g n m e n t ex
censuring B e l l e r o p h o n for h a v i n g t r i e d to bypass the
b i t t e r end
awaits
pressing the v i c t o r y o f g o o d (life) over e v i l (death),
tomb
this corresponding to pagan m y s t e r y r e l i g i o n s basic
(or, worse
still,
stolen
sweets." Pindar
for h a v i n g succeeded!).
p r o v i d i n g a tragic end to the H o m e r i c
By
account—
m a k i n g B e l l e r o p h o n an anti-hero b r o u g h t to fall b y the
doctrine o f r e d e m p t i o n .
T h e reason for Bellerophon's
"celebration" i n
gods—Pindar b r i n g s the m y t h i n l i n e w i t h c o n t e m p o
South Italy has to do w i t h the fact (or so i t w o u l d
r a r y f i f t h - c e n t u r y polis i d e o l o g y
seem to me) that r e l i g i o n i n this frontier r e g i o n t o o k
T h e Pindaric version o f Bellerophon's
end is
place o n a m o r e private and i n d i v i d u a l level than i n
Beller
c o n t e m p o r a r y Greece. I n a d d i t i o n to the official cults
ophon, o f w h i c h some fragments s u r v i v e . T h e l a m e d
o f the Greek polis there were also n u m e r o u s private
adopted by Euripides i n his lost tragedy the
9
hero appears o n the stage convinced n o w that i t is
sects or religious c o m m u n i t i e s that offered an alterna
"best never to have been b o r n , b u t once b o r n next
tive to o r t h o d o x polis r e l i g i o n . O f these, the Bacchics
best to die y o u n g . " T h i s famous adage, a t t r i b u t e d to
and the O r p h i c s were certainly the most
various sages ( H e r o d . 1.33), was often quoted i n sup
and established, and the m y t h o f the celestial h i g h -
prominent
p o r t o f the aristocratic ideal o f heroic self-sacrifice i n
rider h a r m o n i z e d w i t h their i n d i v i d u a l i s t i c theology.
battle. B o t h Pindar and Euripides, as defenders o f the
We m i g h t even go so far as to consider the p o s s i b i l i t y
in
o f the m a n or w o m a n b u r i e d w i t h the golden " i c o n "
negative terms, as a renegade. H i s spirited flight to
Athenian
state r e l i g i o n , represent
o f B e l l e r o p h o n and the C h i m a i r a o n his or her finger
heaven—anticipating
h a v i n g been affiliated w i t h one o f these i n f l u e n t i a l
Mohammeds
Bellerophon
mystic
ride
by
m o r e than a thousand years—runs counter to the ideal
alternative
o f thanatos kalos as demanded by Perikles i n the Funeral
outset—why
Oration.
cults. A s to the question
posed at
the
an image o f B e l l e r o p h o n m i g h t have
For Pindar and Euripides, as for most A t h e
accompanied someone to the grave—the answer seems
nians o f their t i m e , B e l l e r o p h o n was clearly hubristic
to be that B e l l e r o p h o n i n f o u r t h - c e n t u r y South Italy
( f r o m hubris = outrageous wantonness, insolence t o
possessed the status o f a patron, or hero-benefactor,
w a r d the gods).
T h e r e l i g i o n o f " g l o r i o u s death,"
m a k i n g h i m b o t h theologically and i c o n o l o g i c a l l y
w h i c h was pervasive i n Athens d u r i n g the G o l d e n Age,
speaking the godfather o f Saint George (fig. 4). B e l
m a y explain w h y A t h e n i a n red-figure vase-painters
lerophon's ascent—his
were
nearly
o f the d i v i n e horse Pegasos—endorsed, probably, by a
myth
from
unanimous
their
in purging
repertory
of
Bellerophon's
politico-religious
themes. Indeed, there is g o o d reason to believe that
Iliad 3.200-203 is a f i f t h - c e n t u r y i n t e r p o l a t i o n .
10
Bellerophon
was suspected o f h a v i n g c i r c u m v e n t e d the
o f equestrian
d i v i n i t i e s native
to
horse-
1 2
breeding A p u l i a — m a y have been regarded i n a s i m i
lar w a y as the descent o f Orpheus, w h o b r o u g h t back
R e t u r n i n g n o w to the scene o n the S o u t h Italian
bezel: Whereas i n f i f t h - c e n t u r y Athens
tradition
heaven-bound ride o n the back
"Olym
his w i f e f r o m the dead. A l t h o u g h neither figure seems
to have had an official cult i n Italy, b o t h were appar
ently venerated privately as quasi-divine
iatromanteis,
pian" r e l i g i o n based o n i m m o r t a l i t y t h r o u g h soldierly
miracle w o r k e r s w i t h the p o w e r to travel
achievement, w e f i n d that i n South Italy the hero was
" w o r l d s " and intercede o n b e h a l f o f the dead. A s part
between
quite apparently seen w i t h different eyes. N o w h e r e is
o f a m o r t u a r y c o m p l e x o f offerings (grave goods), the
there any h i n t o f his fall or o f any " h u b r i s t i c " associa
image o f B e l l e r o p h o n and the C h i m a i r a
tion. The prominence
given Bellerophon i n South
that is, helped b r i d g e the gap—between the visible and
Italian vase-painting suggests, rather, that here the o l d
the invisible w o r l d s , and by m e n t a l l y o p e n i n g the w a y
t r a d i t i o n o f the d i v i n e celestial rider was s t i l l alive.
for passage between
N o t o n l y Bellerophon's v i c t o r y over the C h i m a i r a is
hero's " i c o n " i n effect created i m m o r t a l i t y .
mediated—
one r e a l m and the other,
the
1 3
represented o n innumerable vases, especially o n the
pateras and oinochoai, t w o shapes m o s t closely c o n
nected
w i t h the m o r t u a r y r i t u a l , b u t also his
umphant
reception by Iobates.
11
tri
O n A p u l i a n vases
Radda i n C h i a n t i
Siena
Bellerophon
F I G U R E
and the Chimaira
4
Campanian bail-amphora. Detail. Bellerophon killing the Chimaira. New York, The Metro
politan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1906, 06.1021.240. Photo courtesy The Metropolitan
Museum of Art.
in Malibu
69
70
Hoffmann
NOTES
ι. Marion True invited me to Malibu and asked me to publish
this recent acquisition. Dieter Metzler discussed fifth-century
revisions of early Greek myth with me and helped convince
me of the basic validity of my orientation. Herbert A. Cahn
contributed his invaluable numismatic expertise. I should like
to thank all of them.
The ring is Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum 8 8 . A M . 104.
H: 2.7 cm, W: 2.2 cm, Η of bezel: 0.85 cm, Η of bezel image:
2.1 cm, Weight: 8.02 g. See J. Spier, Ancient Gems and Finger
Rings: Catalogue of the Collections, The f. Paul Getty Museum
(Malibu, 1992), pp. 6, 41.
2. H . Hoffmann and P. F. Davidson, Greek Gold: fewelry from the
Age of Alexander, exh. cat, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and
other institutions, November 1965-May 1966 (Mainz, 1965),
pp. 15, 266ff. On Tarentine jewelry generally, see Ε. M . De
Juliis, ed., Gli ori di Taranto in eta ellenistica, exh. cat., Milan,
Brera Museum, December 1984-March 1985; W. D. Heilmeyer, fahrbuch der Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz 17 (1980),
pp. I99ff.; Β. Deppert-Lippitz, Griechischer Goldschmuck (Mainz,
1985), p. 307.
3. D. Williams, "Three Groups of Fourth Century South Italian
Jewellery in the British Museum," RM 95 (1988), pp. 75-95,
pis. 30—39, with references to earlier literature.
4. Greek Gold (above, note 2), no. 99; A. Greifenhagen,
Schmuckarbeiten in Edelmetall, vol. 1 (Berlin, 1970), pi. 17; S. G.
Miller, "Two Groups of Thessalian Gold," University of Cal
ifornia Classical Studies 18 (1979), pi. na-c.
5. Greek Gold (above, note 2), p. 15.
6. On Apulia's "Illyrian connection," see D. Metzler, "Zur
Geschichte Apuliens im Altertum," in Κ. Stähler, ed., Apulien:
Kulturberührung in griechischer Zeit (Münster, 1985), pp. i4ff.
On Apulian interest in horses and equestian divinities, see Η.
Hoffmann, "Rhyta and Kantharoi in Greek Ritual," Greek
Vases in the f. Paul Getty Museum 4 (1989), p. 145.
7. K. Schefold, Urkönige: Perseus, Bellerophon, Herakles und
Theseus in der klassischen und hellenistischen Kunst (Munich,
1988).
8. Bellerophons myth—the ancient sources: Homer, Iliad, 6.155203; Hesiod, Theogony, 3 i 9 f f ; Pindar, Olympian Odes, 13.6390; idem, Isthmian Odes, 7.44; Plutarch, On the Virtues of
Women, 247-248. Significantly, Virgil, Aeneid, 6.288, and
Lucian, Dialogi Mortuorum, 30.1, both locate the Chimaira in
the Underworld. See also R. Graves, The Greek Myths, vol. 1
(Harmondsworth, i960), p. 253. On Bellerophon as a "faded"
celestial divinity, esp. L. Malten, Hermes: Zeitschrift für
klassische Philologie 79 (1944), pp. iff. On the rationalistic inter
pretation of pre-Greek myths in the fifth century B . C . , see
now A. Kottaredu, Kirke und Medea (Mainz, 1990), brought to
my attention by Dieter Metzler. For a divergent view of Beller
ophon, see Schefold (above, note 7), who argues for Bellerophon's fall as being integral to early Greek myth and cites a
pithos relief (H. Hoffmann, ed., Dädalische Kunst auf Kreta im
η. fahrhundert v. Chr., exh. cat., Hamburg, Museum für Kunst
und Gewerbe, 1970, pl. 266, C12) as evidence.
9. Η. von Arnim, Supplementum Euripideum (Bonn, 1913),
pp. 43 ff.
10. Cf. Leaf's comment on these problematic lines, which inter
rupt the Homeric narrative: W. Leaf, ed., Homer, The Iliad
(London, 1900), p. 272.
11. Bellerophon in art: F. Brommer, "Bellerophon," MarbWPr
1952-1954, pp. 3 f f ; Heldensage , pp. 292ff; K. Schauenburg,
"Bellerophon in der unteritalischen Vasenmalerei," Jdl 71
(1956), pp. 59ff, figs. 1-27. Schefold (above, note 7) explains
the paucity of Bellerophon's imagery in Attic red-figure by
arguing that the subject was not adapted to the vase medium
(p. 116: "eignet sich besser für tektonische und emblematische
Verwendung").
12. See note 6. On the religion of Late Classical South Italy, see
W. Burkert, Griechische Religion der archaischen und klassischen
Epoche (Stuttgart, 1977), pp. 432ff; idem, "Craft versus Sect:
The Problem of Orphics and Pythagoreans," in Β. F. Meyer
and Ε. P. Sander, eds., Self-Definition of the Graeco-Roman World
(London, 1982), pp. i f f ; W. K. C. Guthrie, Orphism and Greek
Religion (1935; London, 1952); M . L. West, The Orphic Poems
(Oxford, 1983). Further: Orfismo in Magna Grecia, Atti del 14.
Convegno di Studi sulla Magna Grecia, Taranto, 1974 (Naples,
1979), esp. pp. i39ff, pis. 18-20.
13. On the role of imagery in the creation of symbolic immor
tality, see H . Hoffmann, "The Riddle of the Sphinx: A Case
Study in Athenian Immortality Symbolism," in I . Morris, ed.,
Classical Greece: Ancient History and Modern Archaeology
(Cambridge, forthcoming).
21
71
Quattro statue i n terracotta provenienti da Canosa
MARIA LUCIA
FERRUZZA-GIACOMMARA
La collezione d i sculture i n terracotta del J. Paul G e t t y
tygma del peplo sottostante, che si lascia intravvedere
Museum
comprende
statue p r o v e n i e n t i
da
attraverso
le
delle figure f e m m i n i l i
in
formando
sul
quattro
Canosa e rappresentanti
(fig.
atteggiamento d i preghiera ο d i l a m e n t o (fig. i ) .
di
i.
D i m e n s i o n i : h . tot. c m 96.02; largh. m a x . c m 23.5;
h . tot. del viso c m 12.3; spessore delle p a r e d
davanti
dell'himation
larghe
sui
pieghe
due
lati,
semicircolari
2c). I l peplo e decorato con una banda verticale
colore rosa.
evidenza
S T A T U A (figg. 2 a - d ) .
aperture
solo
2
le
Sul lato posteriore
pieghe
stilizzate
sono messe i n
dell'himation e
del peplo.
Sul busto si osservano u n segno graffito (fig. 2d).
max.
c m 6.5, m i n . c m 1.9.
2.
85.AD.76.ι
S T A T U A (figg. 3a-d).
Stato d i conservazione: integra e leggermente abrasa.
D i m e n s i o n i : h . tot. c m 95.06; largh. max. c m 31.9;
A r g i l l a : beige c o n sfumature arancio p a l l i d o .
h . tot. del viso c m 11.6; spessore delle pareti m a x .
P o l i c r o m i a : i n g u b b i a t u r a ; una striscia verticale d i c o
c m 9.5, m i n . c m 1.4.
lore rosa l u n g o i l lato sinistro del peplo, rosso m a t t o n e
85.AD.76.2
usato per i capelli, le labbra e i calzari, sporadiche
Stato d i conservazione:
tracce d i colore nero sul peplo e s u l l ' h i m a t i o n .
g n o l o della m a n o sinistra, restaurati i l d i t o medio,
D e t t a g l i tecnici: presenza d i tre f o r i c i r c o l a r i (diametro
anulare e m i g n o l o della m a n o destra. La superficie e
cm
1.5
circa): due sul m a r g i n e inferiore del peplo
manca la p u n t a del d i t o m i -
abrasa.
(metä anteriore e posteriore), i l terzo sul lato destro
A r g i l l a e p o l i c r o m i a : come sopra.
della figura.
D e t t a g l i tecnici: presenza d i due f o r i c i r c o l a r i sui l a t i
Descrizione: la figura si presenta i n posizione stante
del b o r d o inferiore della figura nella metä posteriore.
c o n i l peso sulla gamba destra e la sinistra leggermente
Descrizione: la posizione e la ponderazione del corpo
avanzata e flessa. Le braccia piegate al g o m i t o sono
sono s i m i l i alia figura precedente. La testa, al contrario,
alzate ai l a t i della figura, le dita delle m a n i sono aperte
e inclinata verso destra e i l g i n o c c h i o della gamba
e ben distinte. La testa e leggermente inclinata e v o l t a
flessa e p i u r u o t a t o verso sinistra; le sopracciglia sono
verso sinistra. I I viso e ovale e scarno, i l m e n t o a p p u n -
m a g g i o r m e n t e corrugate e f o r m a n o due rughe al cen-
tito, la fronte alta; le sopracciglia sono corrugate,
t r o della fronte, i l labbro superiore,
palpebre ben
evidenziate
le
p i u carnoso, si
e la bocca, i l c u i labbro
delinea i n una curva ondulata. N e l l ' i n s i e m e tale accen-
inferiore e piu sporgente rispetto al superiore, e tesa i n
tuazione dei l i n e a m e n t i del v o l t o evidenzia m a g g i o r
un'espressione d i tristezza (fig. 2a). I capelli, resi c o n
mente l'espressione d i c o m p i a n t o (fig. 3c).
i n c i s i o n i , sono d i v i s i sulla fronte e, lasciando le orecchie scoperte, sono raccolti i n d i e t r o i n una m o r b i d a
Sul b o r d o inferiore d e l l ' h i m a t i o n si osserva u n
segno graffito (fig. 3d).
coda d i cavallo (fig. 2b).
La figura indossa u n peplo che scende i n p i u pieghe, d i
3. S T A T U A (figg. 4 a - d ) .
cui una p i u scanalata delle altre, e u n c o r t o h i m a t i o n
D i m e n s i o n i : h . tot. c m 93.04; largh. max. c m 31.2;
p o r t a t o come scialle, u n l e m b o del quale viene lasciato
h . tot. del viso c m 12.5; spessore delle pareti m a x .
cadere dalla spalla
sinistra
sul busto della f i g u r a .
1
L ' h i m a t i o n ricopre le braccia f i n o al g o m i t o e Vapop-
c m 6.4, m i n . c m 1.4.
85.AD.76.3
72
Fe rruzza - G ia co mmara
F I G U R A
I
Quattro statue in terracotta. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum 85.AD.76.1-4.
Stato d i conservazione: intatta con superficie abrasa.
D e t t a g l i tecnici: u n foro circolare sul b o r d o inferiore
D e t t a g l i tecnici: due
fori
circolari,
uno
sul
bordo
inferiore del peplo nella metä anteriore, l ' a l t r o sul lato
del peplo nel lato posteriore della figura.
Descrizione: la figura e s i m i l e alia statua η . 3, m a la
gamba destra e m e n o arretrata e la testa e inclinata
destro della figura.
caratteristiche
verso sinistra. S i m i l e e la disposizione del panneggio;
generali alle precedenti, tuttavia i l peso del corpo p o g -
si osservi ad esempio, i n entrambe le figure, i l lieve
Descrizione: la figura e s i m i l e nelle
sulla gamba sinistra, mentre la destra e portata
incavo e l'ondulazione della piega sul seno destro. I
i n d i e t r o e flessa; la testa p o i e leggermente volta verso
gia
l i n e a m e n t i e le fattezze del viso, tuttavia, sono p i u
sinistra. I l i n e a m e n t i sono analoghi a q u e l l i della f i
s o m i g l i a n t i a q u e l l i della figura n . 2, soprattutto per
gura η . ι (labbro superiore d r i t t o , sopracciglia l i n e a r i
quanto riguarda la linea delle sopracciglia e la resa
ed espressione triste) (fig. 4c).
delle labbra (fig. 5 c).
Sul lato inferiore destro d e l l ' h i m a t i o n nella parte
S u l l ' h i m a t i o n sono incisi due segni (fig. 5d).
anteriore si osserva u n segno graffito (fig. 4d).
N e i l a b o r a t o r i del J. Paul G e t t y M u s e u m e stata
4. S T A T U A (figg. 5a-d).
di recente restaurata una quinta
D i m e n s i o n i : h . tot. c m 95.05; largh. max. c m 3 2 . 1 ;
prima
h.
presentate.
tot. del viso c m 12.2; spessore delle pareti max.
c m 8.4, m i n . c m 2 . 1 .
85.AD.76.4
Stato d i conservazione: intatta con superficie abrasa.
analisi
si
presenta
figura,
simile
alle
che da una
statue
qui
Quattro statue in terracotta da Canosa
F I G U R A
2a
Statua n. 1 . Parte frontale. Malibu, J. Paul
Getty Museum 85.AD.76.1.
F I G U R A
2b
Parte posteriore della statua fig. n. 2 a .
F I G U R A
2d
Segno graffito sul busto della statua fig. n. 2 a .
F I G U R A
73
2C
Parte laterale sinistra della statua fig. n. 2 a .
74 Ferruzza-Giacommara
F I G U R A
3 C
Particolare della parte frontale della statua fig. n. 3 aF I G U R A
3a
Statua n. 2. Parte frontale. Malibu,
J. Paul Getty Museum 85.AD.76.2.
F I G U R A
3b
Parte posteriore della statua fig
n. 3 a.
F I G U R A
3d
Segno graffito sul busto della
statua fig. n. 3 a.
F I G U R A
4 C
Particolare della parte frontale della statua fig. n. 4a.
F I G U R A
4a
F I G U R A
4b
Parte posteriore della statua fig.
n. 4a.
F I G U R A
4d
Segno graffito sul busto della
statua fig. n. 4a.
75
76
Ferruzza-Giacommara
F I G U R A
5 C
Particolare della parte frontale della statua fig. n. 5a.
F I G U R A
5a
F I G U R A
5b
Parte posteriore
n. 5a.
F I G U R A
della statua flg.
5d
Segno inciso sul busto della statua
flg. n. 5a.
F I G U R A
F I G U R A
6a
Statua in terracotta. Parte frontale. Malibu, J. Paul
Getty Museum 79. A D . 194.
77
6b
Parte posteriore della statua fig. n. 6a.
5. S T A T U A (figg. 6a, b ) .
sopracciglia che, p r o f o n d a m e n t e arcuate,
D i m e n s i o n i : h . m a x . c m 96.5; largh. m a x . c m 31.
la cavitä degli occhi.
accentuano
79. A D . 194
Stato d i conservazione: M a n c a n o le braccie e i l piede
O g n i statua c stata eseguita c o n l ' i m p i e g o d i due
m a t r i c i , una per i l lato anteriore, l'altra per i l poste
sinistro.
A r g i l l a : i n t e r n a m e n t e beige pallido, all'esterno m a r -
riore, m a n o n e escluso che i l coroplasta abbia prefe-
rone chiaro tendente al rossiccio.
r i t o usare quattro m a t r i c i , due per le metä posteriore e
Policromia: rosso m a t t o n e usato per i capelli.
anteriore della parte superiore del corpo, le altre due
Descrizione: la posizione e l ' a b b i g l i a m e n t o sono s i m i l i
per la parte inferiore (metä posteriore e anteriore). L o
alle figure n n . 3 e 4. I I viso e m o d e l l a t o c o n m a g g i o r e
spessore delle pieghe del b o r d o d e l l ' h i m a t i o n , i n f a t t i ,
libertä espressiva,
attraverso
rappresentava u n p u n t o conveniente per celare i l piü
stilizzate i n c i s i o n i , si d i s p o n g o n o sulla fronte i n piu
possibile la linea d i c o n g i u n z i o n e e le i m p e r f e z i o n i
m o r b i d e o n d u l a z i o n i . La testa e inclinata verso s i
della modellazione.
i capelli,
resi sempre
nistra, i l c o r r u g a m e n t o della fronte e reso p i u esplicito
da quattro rughe incise n e l suo centro e ai l a t i delle
Tuttavia ci si aspetterebbe d i trovare c o n p i u
evidenza
i segni
della lavorazione e le
sbavature
FIGURA
FIGURA 8
7
Statua in terracotta proveniente da Canosa. Rouen,
Musee des Antiquites 2054.
Statua in terracotta proveniente da Canosa. Copenaghen, Nationalmuseum 4995.
dell'argilla, laddove invece e quasi i m p o s s i b i l e v e r i f i -
L'accorgimento preferito sembra sia stato l'alterazione
care al tatto, nella sezione interna delle pareti, la linea
della posizione della testa e i l r i t o c c o dei l i n e a m e n t i
d i c o n g i u n z i o n e delle due metä all'altezza del b o r d o
del viso e del p a n n e g g i o .
inferiore del c o r t o h i m a t i o n . N o n si comprende d u n -
5
Tali espedienti permettevano
d i elaborare
par-
que perche i l coroplasta abbia curato d i smussare e
zialmente u n t i p o d i statua senza doverne creare u n o
modellare una parte che i n o g n i caso restava nascosta.
ex-novo, facilitando e alleggerendo cosi l ' e c o n o m i a
Le braccia, la testa e i p i e d i venivano a g g i u n t i separa-
della produzione.
tamente.
3
L e figure n n . 1 e 2 sembrano ricavate dalle
Stesse m a t r i c i , presentandosi
i n f a t t i nella
medesima
L'argilla e quella tipica dell'area d i Canosa, d i
colore beige p a l l i d o c o n sfumature
arancio
chiaro
posizione e t r o v a n d o c o n f r o n t i n e l t i p o d i panneggio;
a t t r i b u i b i l i all'intensitä della temperatura d i cottura e
per le Stesse r a g i o n i altre identiche m a t r i c i sono state
alla m i n o r e ο m a g g i o r e lontananza dell'esemplare r i s -
c o n o g n i probabilitä impiegate per le figure n n . 3 e 4 .
4
petto alla fönte d i calore.
6
I I coroplasta p o i e i n t e r v e n u t o su o g n i singolo
I c o l o r i applicati d o p o la cottura erano stesi sopra
f i t t i l e variando e ritoccando a l c u n i dettagli per perso-
u n ' i n g u b b i a t u r a costituita p r o b a b i l m e n t e da latte d i
nalizzare
calce e conservatasi i n piü p u n t i .
con
piu
accuratezza
la
sua
produzione.
7
F I G U R A
F I G U R A
9
Statua in terracotta proveniente da Canosa. Bari,
Museo 455.
79
10
Statua in terracotta proveniente da Canosa. Napoli,
Museo Nazionale 22246-2224.
La tavolozza n o n e m o l t o varia, attestando per le
i n d i c a z i o n i c o n valore n u m e r i c o d e l l ' o r d i n e secondo i l
quattro statue le Stesse tonalitä: rosa, rosso b r u n o e nero.
quale dovevano venire collocate le statue: segni cioe
I f o r i circolari n o t a t i sul b o r d o inferiore delle
destinati all'utilitä pratica della bottega ο c o m u n q u e
figure servivano c o n o g n i probabilitä a fissarle alia
G l i stessi f o r i circolari sono presenti anche nelle
statue p r o v e n i e n t i dalla t o m b a Scocchera Β d i Canosa
(fig. 8 ) ,
1 0
B a r i (fig. 9 )
11
9
8
Copenaghen
e i n u n altra statua, s i m i l e nella
t i p o l o g i a , attualmente al M u s e o d i N a p o l i .
1 2
Le statue sono internamente cave e p r i v e dei f o r i
sfiatatoi. C o m e e giä stato osservato, i n ognuna d i esse
sono ben v i s i b i l i u n o ο due segni incisi direttamente
sull'argilla fresca.
13
14
I I c o n f r o n t o p i u attinente per le statue q u i i n
base sopra c u i erano collocate.
e conservate nei m u s e i d i R o u e n (fig. 7 ) ,
del c o m m e r c i o specializzato.
M i pare che l'interpretazione piu
appropriata possa essere quella d i m a r c h i d i fabbrica ο
esame si p u o stabilire c o n la figura attualmente al
M u s e o d i B a r i (fig. 9). S i m i l e e i n f a t t i
l'andamento
stilizzato delle pieghe del corto h i m a t i o n , l'acconciatura dei capelli e la posizione delle m a n i .
1 5
Le statue d i
R o u e n e Copenaghen, invece, oltre a essere q u a l i t a t i vamente
superiori nella cura
modellazione,
presentano
piu
dei dettagli e della
spiccate
differenze,
come ad esempio i l l u n g o apoptygma legato sotto i seni
con una c i n t u r a e i capelli ricadenti i n plastici b o c c o l i
sulle spalle.
interna.
17
I caratteri d i questa visione artistica tipica d i
u n particolarismo regionale sembrano generati da u n
atteggiamento d i indipendenza e d i reazione culturale
nei c o n f r o n t i della penetrazione greca. D ' a l t r o canto
sarä bene sottolineare che nel I V e I I I secolo a.C. i
corredi funerari dei c e n t r i apuli mostrano una chiara
ellenizzazione, certo filtrata attraverso scambi c o m
mercial!; le statue q u i n d i sono da considerarsi come
l'espressione d i u n artigianato i n d i g e n o i n c l i n e a reagire alia suggestione dei m o d e l l i greci e a esprimersi
cosi i n u n l i n g u a g g i o artistico o r i g i n a l e .
scelta stilistica si riscontra anche nella
18
Questa
decorazione
degli askoi c o n le tipiche applicazioni d i statuette a
t u t t o t o n d o , per l o piu figure f e m m i n i l i , n i k a i ed e r o t i
alati.
19
La l o r o diffusione t e s t i m o n i a una stretta colla-
borazione esistente i n questo p e r i o d o tra vasai, p i t t o r i
e coroplasti che, attraverso scambi d i esperienze t e c n i che e artistiche, avevano p o t u t o cosi elaborare
sostanziale unitä d i l i n g u a g g i o espressivo.
una
20
Esemplari, al nostro proposito, sono le statuette
che decorano l'askos conservato al M u s e o d i Taranto,
le quali presentano l o stesso t i p o d i panneggio ricadente i n pieghe semicircolari e i l m e d e s i m o particolare
iconografico delle braccia alzate (fig. n ) .
2 1
Tali statu
ette che, spesso, oltre ad avere le braccia sollevate e aperte ai lati, sono rappresentate anche c o n le m a n i alia
testa, v e n g o n o interpretate per l o p i u come lamentat r i c i , o r a n t i ο sacerdotesse.
22
Interessante e i l c o n f r o n t o p r o p o s t o dalla T i n e
B e r t o c c h i tra queste statuette e le figure d i p i n t e sulla
parete della t o m b a a camera databile alia p r i m a metä
del I I I secolo
a.C.
i n localitä S. A l o i a ,
entrambe
FIGURA I I
"espressione locale d i u n soggetto apulo ο p i u ancora
Askos canosino. Taranto, Museo.
canosino."
23
D e l resto, i t r a t t i del viso marcati, i capel-
l i lisci e d i v i s i sul capo evidenziati i n queste figure,
si riscontrano anche nelle statue q u i i n esame.
U n altro g r u p p o d i cosiddette o r a n t i da Canosa e
conservato al M u s e o d i N a p o l i , tra le quali una i n
particolare r i c h i a m a la nostra attenzione
(fig. i o ) .
1 6
Esse dovevano rappresentare u n offerta funeraria
particolarmente costosa, probabile appannaggio d i u n
nucleo familiäre d i u n certo r i l i e v o economico,
che
A n a l o g o e i n f a t t i rispetto alle statue del G e t t y n o n
attraverso l'ostentazione dei r i t u a l i f u n e b r i metteva i n
solo i l t i p o d i c o r t o h i m a t i o n indossato dalla figura,
risalto i l p r o p r i o potere e c o n o m i c o e p o l i t i c o .
m a la resa dei l i n e a m e n t i , la struttura del viso e i l
a l l ' i n t e r n o d i i p o g e i ο t o m b e a camera, esse sembrano
24
Poste
particolare tecnico dei f o r i , che suggeriscono la p r o v e -
rappresentare l ' i m m a g i n e c o n t r i t a dei parenti ο delle
nienza da u n m e d e s i m o atelier.
persone care della defunta, configurandosi come p r e -
Le sculture sono a t t r i b u i b i l i c o n o g n i v e r o s i m i glianza a maestranze locali; e evidente i n f a t t i la v i v a -
senza
visibile
morte.
del legame
affettivo
d i fronte
alia
25
citä e l'ingenuitä c o m p o s i t i v a espressa, per esempio,
Tuttavia desta qualche perplessitä n o n trovare,
dalla mancanza d i p r o p o r z i o n i tra m a n i e braccia; la
nella rappresentazione d i u n nucleo familiäre, i m m a -
costruzione p o i si presenta disorganica e noncurante
g i n i d i anziani p a r e n t i ο d i b a m b i n i ; le statue i n f a t t i
dei s i n g o l i e l e m e n t i , cosi da rendere t r o p p o statica la
rappresentano i n v a r i a b i l m e n t e l o stesso t i p o d i
posa, incerta l'espressione, poco compatta la struttura
f e m m i n i l e i n giovane eta, cosi da essere interpretate
figura
con
piu
verosimiglianza
quali
lamentatrici
che,
come spesso avviene nella coroplastica,
da u n
81
uso
durante i r i t u a l i f u n e b r i , e soprattutto i n occasione
t r o p p o p r o l u n g a t o del medesimo p r o t o t i p o , p o t r e b -
della prothesis,
bero essere riferite a una generazione posteriore, forse
venivano pagate appositamente
dalla
famiglia come u l t i m o atto d i rispetto verso i l p r o
prio caro.
inquadrabile nella seconda metä del I I I secolo a.C.
26
Un
Palermo
confronto
interessante ci viene
proposto
dall'analisi d i alcune scene d i p i n t e sui vasi a figure
rosse p r o v e n i e n t i dalla M a g n a Grecia. Tra i r e p e r t o r i
preferiti
dai ceramografi
compaiono
spesso figure
NOTE
ritratte all'esterno d i naiskoi e colte per l o p i u n e l l ' a t t o
d i recare un'offerta. C o m e M . S c h m i d t puntualizza,
manca anche i n questo caso una caratterizzazione i n d i viduale delle singole figure, cosi da suggerire
non
tanto personaggi di u n nucleo familiäre, quanto m e m b r i d i una c o m u n i t ä religiosa alia quale la
defunta
apparteneva i n vita, e che attraverso la l o r o i m m a g i n e ,
p i u i n atteggiamento d i preghiera che d i lamentazione,
confortavano la speranza d i una v i t a u l t r a t e r r e n a .
27
Le statue tuttavia n o n presentano nessun a t t r i b u t o che le i d e n t i f i c h i come tali ed e cosi difficile
accertare, nel nostro caso, se i coroplasti abbiano preso
i n prestito dai ceramografi u n o spunto iconografico
simile.
28
Per quanto
riguarda i l p r o b l e m a cronologico,
n o n avendo nel nostro caso nessun r i f e r i m e n t o al c o n testo o r i g i n a r i o e ai m a t e r i a l i ad esso associati,
mi
sembra del t u t t o i n o p p o r t u n o cercare d i stabilire una
datazione
troppo
circostanziata.
I l riesame
degli
o g g e t t i appartenenti al medesimo corredo delle statue
d i Rouen, Copenaghen e B a r i attesta una datazione tra
la fine del I I I e la p r i m a metä del I I secolo a . C ,
seb-
bene le statue siano r i f e r i b i l i a u n p e r i o d o leggermente
anteriore.
29
La stessa discrepanza
cronologica presenta la
t o m b a Barbarossa, con la presenza da una parte d i
ceramica a figure rosse e statue d i o r a n t i , dall'altra d i
v e t r i , oro e u n a n f o r a r o d i a .
30
Anche nell'ipogeo La-
grasta I , assieme alia ceramica a figure rosse sono stati
t r o v a t i sia v e t r i e o r i r i f e r i b i l i al I I secolo a . C ,
sia
un'iscrizione latina databile al 67 a.C. Tali discordanze
sono state spiegate a m m e t t e n d o una continuitä d'uso
d i questi i p o g e i nell'arco d i p i u generazioni.
31
Per la
t o m b a degli O r i invece, una datazione alia fine del I I I
secolo a.C. sembra per l o p i u accettata dalla m a g g i o r
parte degli s t u d i o s i .
32
Se pero i l t i p o dell'orante e a t t r i b u i b i l e alia fine
del I V ο ai p r i m i decenni del I I I secolo a . C , per le
statue q u i i n esame si d o v r ä annotare che presentano
una qualitä stilistica piü scadente rispetto, per esempio, a quelle della t o m b a Scocchera B . Esse q u i n d i ,
rappresentando una degenerazione del tipo, causata,
ι. II modo di indossare l'himation come scialle e riscontrabile
sulle figure dipinte dal Pittore della Patera: A. D. Trendall e A.
Cambitoglou, The Red-Figured Vases in Apulia (Oxford, 1982),
p. 723, tav. 267.1. Probabilmente e riferibile a un costume
greco con forti accenti locali. Si veda: M . De Wailly, "Les
femmes des guerriers," MEFRA 94.2 (1982), p. 606.
2. Eabito femminile ornato da una ο piü bände di uno stesso
colore e caratteristico della zona apula e compare spesso nella
decorazione dei vasi a figure rosse, ad esempio sulle figure
dipinte dal Pittore della Patera e dal Pittore di Baltimora: Tren
dall e Cambitoglou (nota 1), p. 723, tav. 275.5, 6, e p. 856.
Si veda in proposito anche L. Forti, "La produzione cera
mica e la pittura funeraria a Ruvo," Archivio storico pugliese 30
(1977), pp. 113-43.
3. In questo caso l'orlo della manica serviva a mascherare l'attaccatura del braccio. La testa era ricavata con altri due stampi.
Per quanto riguarda i piedi, i l restauro della figura n. 5 ha
messo in evidenza con chiarezza i punti di attacco alia figura.
4. Le differenze di altezza e larghezza tra un esemplare e l'altro
sono determinate dal restringimento della figura nel processo
di cottura e di essiccamento.
5. Le Stesse coppie di matrici sono state usate per le teste delle
statue nn. 1 e 3 e nn. 2 e 4. Come ha osservato la Bonghi
Jovino, si preferiva apportare le modifiche direttamente sugli
esemplari piuttosto che sulle matrici: M . Bonghi Jovino,
Capua preromana, Terrecotte votive, vol. 2, Le statue (Firenze,
1971), pp. 15-16.
6. L'argilla della statua n. 5 si presenta piü rossa e la superficie e
molto levigata senza alcuna traccia di ingubbiatura ο di
pigmento, forse a causa di una pulitura eccessivamente
aggressiva.
7. L'analisi chimica dell'ingubbiatura prelevata da quattro askoi
da Canosa ha attestato che essa era costituita per la maggior
parte da argille, ma, data la diversitä delle tecniche di fabbricazione' di tali vasi, non sembra escluso anche l'impiego di latte
di calce. Si veda a questo proposito: A. Rinuy e F. Schweizer,
"Analyse de l'engobe blanc et des traces d'adhesifs anciens
preleves sur des vases de Canosa," Genava, n.s. 28 (1978),
pp. 162-69.
8. A. Oliver Drew, Jr., The Reconstruction of Two Apulian Tomb
Groups (Bern, 1981), p. 16.
9. N . Inv. 1965, h. cm 99. La pubblicazione delle fotografie mi e
stata concessa gentilmente da Mme G. Dennequier del Musee
des Antiquites de Rouen. Si veda anche i l catalogo della
mostra Hommes, dieux et heros de la Grece (Musee des Anti
quites, Rouen, 1982), p. 153, n. 66, con inclusa bibl.
10. N. Inv. 4995, h. cm 97. Si ringrazia Ms: M . Kollund per avermi
fornito la fotografia dell'esemplare e per averne permesso la
pubblicazione. N . Breitenstein, Danish National Museum: Cata
logue of Terracottas (Copenaghen, 1941), tav. 80. 659.
11. N . Inv. 455, h. cm 87. La pubblicazione e stata consentita per
cortesia del Soprintendente alle antichitä di Puglia, prof. E. De
Juliis.
12. A. Levi, Le terrecotte figurate del Museo Nazionale di Napoli
(Firenze, 1926), tav. II. 1.
13. Sara inoltre piu opportuno considerarli piu semplicemente
contrassegni di tipo alfabetico (in particolare quelli sulle statue
nn. i , 2 e 3, interpretabili come un'eta, una iota e un'alfa).
14. G. Siebert, "Signatures d'artistes, d'artisans et des fabricants,"
Ktema, 1978, p. 124.
Perche poi i l coroplasta abbia inciso tali segni proprio nella
parte frontale della figura si puo facilmente spiegare immaginando che, dopo lo strato di ingubbiatura e di policromia, esse
erano comunque destinate a scomparire.
15. Un simile manierismo di stile nella resa del panneggio trova
confronti nelle figure dipinte sui vasi del Pittore di Baltimora e
del pittore del cosiddetto del "White Saccos," entrambi attivi
alia fine del IV secolo a.C. nella zona di Canosa: Trendall e
Cambitoglou (nota 1), n. 24, tav. 324.2; n. 30, tav. 326.3.
16. N . Inv. 22246-2224: Levi (nota 12), tav. II.3. Probabilmente
proveniente dall'Ipogeo Barbarossa di Canosa, la statua e databile tra la fine del IV e gli inizi del III secolo a.C. per la
presenza nello stesso corredo di vasi apuli a figure rosse. Si
veda a tal proposito: A. Ciancio, " I vetri alessandrini rinvenuti
a Canosa," Canosa, vol. 1 (Bari, 1980), p. 46, nota n. 74. Per la
discussione della datazione dell'ipogeo si veda piu oltre alia
nota n. 25.
Altre statue da Canosa rappresentanti la stessa tipologia di
figura femminile si trovano a Londra: Η. B. Waithers, Cata
logue of the Terracottas in the Department of Greek and Roman
Antiquities, British Museum (London, 1903), p. 317, D. 124-25; a
Parigi: Musee du Louvre S 347 (esemplare ancora inedito); a
Vienna: K. Masner, Die Sammlung antiken Vasen und Terrakotten
im königlichen Osterreichischen Museum (Vienna, 1891), p. 92,
η. 877.
17- Si veda Bernabo Brea, " I rilievi tarantini in pietra tenera,"
Rivista dellTstituto di Archeologia e Storia dell'arte di Roma 1
(1952), pp. 165—66, dove si sottolinea come "la pesantezza
assunta dalle Stoffe, l'arrangiamento complicato dei mantelli e
l'andamento del tutto innaturale delle pieghe, siano caratteristiche comuni di tutta la produzione apula del III a.C."
Questa mancanza di attenzione per le proporzioni naturalistiche, comune nelle opere dell'ellenismo italico, troverä una
continuazione nella corrente d'arte romana repubblicana detta
plebea: T. Kraus, "Strömungen hellenistischer Kunst," Dialoghi di Archeologia 4-5, nn. 2-3 (1970-1971), pp. 221-23.
18. Anche a Capua nello stesso periodo la produzione coroplastica
era caratterizzata "dall'alternarsi di varie correnti formali:
alcune con forti legami con la scultura greca, altre autenticamente locali, altre inseribili in una struttura ellenizzata, ma
con forti tendenze locali": Bonghi Jovino (nota 5), pp. 27-28.
P. Orlandini, "Aspetti dell'arte indigena in Magna Grecia,"
in Atti dell'XI Convegno di Studi sulla Magna Grecia 1971
(Napoli, 1972), p. 308. Si vedano anche le annotazioni meto-
dologiche apportate a questo proposito da F. Coarelli, in ibid.,
PP- 330-33·
19. O. Elia, in Enciclopedia dell'arte antica, vol. 2 (Roma, 1959),
pp. 317-18 con bibl. inclusa e F. Van Der Wielen, "Canosa et
sa production ceramique," Genava, n.s. 28 (1978), pp. 142-49.
20. La collaborazione tra officine di coroplasti e vasai e attestata
anche per la creazione di oinochoai plastiche sia a Canosa che a
Capua: A. Riccardi, "Vasi configurati a testa umana di provenienza ο produzione canosina," in Canosa, vol. 1 (Bari, 1980),
pp. 7-21, e M . Bonghi Jovino, "Problemi di artigianato
nell'Italia preromana," in Archeologica: Scritti in onore di Aldo
Neppi Modona (Firenze, 1975), pp. 29-36.
21. Elia (nota 19), fig. 462.
22. M . Borda, Ceramiche apule (Bergamo, 1966), p. 60, flg. 49. Per
quanto riguarda l'interpretazione di tali decorazioni si veda
Van Der Wielen (nota 19), p. 148.
23. F. Tine Bertocchi, La pittura funeraria apula (Napoli, 1964),
pp. 17-18, fig. 2.
24. E. De Juliis, in Gli ori di Taranto in etä ellenistica, catalogo della
mostra (Milano, 1982), pp. 19-21.
25. La provenienza da Canosa, e piü in particolare da un contesto
funerario, e avvalorata anche dal confronto offerto dagli esemplari inquadrabili nello stesso schema tipologico e di cui
abbiamo piü precisi dettagli riguardo alle loro provenienze.
Cosi gli esemplari di Rouen, Copenaghen e Bari, come si e
accennato sopra, provengono dalla tomba Scocchera Β (si veda
nota 11). L'ipogeo Barbarossa ha restituito tre esemplari ora al
Museo di Napoli, Vienna e Londra (nota 16); dall'ipogeo
Lagrasta I proviene un'orante, forse la stessa conservata al
Louvre. Infme la tomba degli Ori ha restituito altre quattro
statue di oranti: R. Bartoccini, "La tomba degli Ori a Canosa,"
Japigiao (193 5), pp. 225-62.
26. D. C. Kurtz e J. Boardman, Greek Burial Customs (London,
1971), pp. 143-44·
27. Μ. Schmidt, "Some Remarks on the Subjects of South Italian
Vases," The Art of South Italy: Vases from Magna Grecia, cata
logo della mostra (Richmond, 1982), pp. 24-25.
28. J. Carter, "Relief Sculptures from the Necropolis of Taranto,"
AJA 74 (1970), pp. 125-38. Bernabo Brea (nota 17), p. 219.
La riproduzione di naiskoi e frequentissima sia nella decorazione dei vasi a figure rosse della zona apula sia in quella delle
tombe canosine; si veda a questo proposito Tine Bertocchi
(nota 23), p. 15.
Ringrazio con gratitudine i l prof. A. D. Trendall per i consigli e l'attenzione prestata alia redazione di questo scritto.
29. Gli ori di Taranto (nota 24), p. 454.
30. M . Mazzei e E. Lippolis, "Dall'ellenizzazione all'etä tardo
repubblicana," in La Daunia dalla preistoria all'alto medioevo
(Milano, 1984), pp. 191-92.
31. Ibid., p. 191.
32. E. Lippolis, in Gli ori di Taranto (nota 24), p. 454.
83
Ein Horosspeer i n Malibu
KLAUS
PARLASCA
Während der intensiven Ausbauphase i n den vergan
stehenden G o t t m i t Vogelkopf. E r hält diagonal v o r
genen Jahrzehnten erwarb die archäologische A b t e i
d e m K ö r p e r eine Lanze, m i t der er ein K r o k o d i l tötet,
l u n g des J. Paul G e t t y M u s e u m s auch verschiedene
v o n d e m n u r n o c h der M i t t e l t e i l h i n t e r den B e i n e n
ägyptische Altertümer.
erhalten ist. D e r G o t t trägt einen k u r z e n C h i t o n u n d
biete
Sie tangieren die
dieser S e k t i o n n u r
Spezialge
wenig, jedoch
verdienen
einige v o n i h n e n die A u f m e r k s a m k e i t benachbarter
eine A r t v o n Schuppenpanzer, m i t d e m auch A r m e
u n d Beine bekleidet sind.
Fachkollegen. H i e r z u gehört auch ein m e r k w ü r d i g e s
E i n m i t B l a t t d e k o r verzierter Streifen dient als
Gebilde aus H o l z , das bei den Ä g y p t o l o g e n unter der
Sockel u n d b i l d e t zugleich den U b e r g a n g z u m z w e i
1
Bezeichnung Horosspeer bekannt ist ( A b b . i a , b ) . I m
ten Feld. H i e r sehen w i r einen Raubvogel; das T i e r
archäologischen Bereich begegnen sie zumeist n u r als
sieht w i e ein A d l e r aus, doch spricht der gebogene
A m u l e t t , also i n M i n i a t u r f o r m a t .
2
Schnabel
eher für einen Falken. A u f seinem
Kopf
Abmes
befindet sich eine u n d e u t l i c h ausgearbeitete Verzie
sungen. Sie sind allerdings auffallend selten u n d w u r
r u n g ; vielleicht sind D o p p e l f e d e r n gemeint. D e r v o r
Daneben g i b t es Beispiele i n größeren
den bisher n o c h nie i m Z u s a m m e n h a n g
behandelt.
Eine Ausnahme b i l d e t die Studie v o n H . Schäfer, der
zu B e g i n n des Jahrhunderts einen Horosspeer
Ägyptischen
Museums
in
Berlin
publiziert
Dieses v o n i h m n u r i n einer Z e i c h n u n g
Exemplar
gehört
zu den
beträchtlichen
Ansatz
ist unklar.
Zwischen
den
des
r u n d e n Gebilde sehen aus w i e G e r ö l l , doch ist v i e l
3
leicht n u r felsiger G r u n d gemeint. D i e kleine Ansatz
hat.
vorgelegte
stelle a m unteren R a n d g i b t einen H i n w e i s darauf, daß
Kriegsver
sich hier noch ein drittes Feld befunden hat.
lusten dieser A b t e i l u n g der Staatlichen Museen,
i m Frühjahr 1945 bei den letzten
dere hornartige
K r a l l e n findet sich eine A n d e u t u n g v o n Gelände; die
D i e obere D a r s t e l l u n g ist religionsgeschichtlich
die
Kampfhandlungen
klar zu i n t e r p r e t i e r e n .
6
Der anthropomorphe
Falken
des Z w e i t e n Weltkrieges i m mecklenburgischen A u s
g o t t H o r o s tötet den M ö r d e r seines Vaters Osiris,
lagerungsort Sophienhof—zusammen
dessen B r u d e r Seth, der sich i m V e r l a u f des Rache
erworbenen Gegenstücken—verbrannt
m i t z w e i später
sind.
4
M i r ist
n u r eine weitere Parallele dieser großen Horosspeere,
i n Mainz, bekannt.
5
V i e l l e i c h t g i b t es weitere, i n der
kampfes i n ein K r o k o d i l verwandelt hatte. D e r G ö t
tervogel des unteren Feldes ist ebenfalls
benennen.
D i e K o m b i n a t i o n beider
Horos
zu
Darstellungen
Fachliteratur n o c h n i c h t erfaßte Stücke. D i e Veröffent
i l l u s t r i e r t die weitgehende Verschmelzung der beiden
l i c h u n g des vorliegenden Exemplars i m J. Paul G e t t y
i m Griechischen namensgleichen G o t t h e i t e n , des Fal
Museum
kengottes m i t d e m Sohn der Isis u n d des Osiris.
lenkt
v i e l l e i c h t die A u f m e r k s a m k e i t
auf
Das Ä g y p t i s c h e M u s e u m i n B e r l i n besaß v o r
weitere Inedita.
D e r A u s g a n g s p u n k t unserer Studie k a n n beson
1945, w i e bereits erwähnt, nicht weniger als drei E x e m
deres Interesse beanspruchen. Das durchbrochen gear
plare dieser A r t . N r . 1 ist als einziges, w e n n auch n u r
beitete doppelseitige Relief zeigt spiegelbildlich jeweils
i n einer U m r i ß z e i c h n u n g ,
veröffentlicht
(Abb. 2 ) .
7
dieselbe D a r s t e l l u n g . O b e n u n d u n t e n ist das Ganze
V o n N r . 2 existieren Photos beider Seiten ( A b b . 3 a,
unvollständig; außerdem w u r d e n A b s p l i t t e r u n g e n an
b),
den Seiten, w i e die hellere H o l z f ä r b u n g an den K a n
lierte
ten erkennen läßt, nachträglich geglättet. D i e erhal
(Abb. 4 ) . D i e ursprüngliche L ä n g e dieser drei Stücke
tene Partie umfaßt z w e i Felder. O b e n sieht m a n einen
muß
8
w ä h r e n d N r . 3 ausschließlich d u r c h eine d e t a i l
Zeichnung
im
Inventar
dokumentiert
ist
9
ca. 1,25 m betragen
haben. Sie bieten einige
84
Parlasca
ABB.
ia
Horosspeer. Holz. Vorderseite. RömischÄgyptisch. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum
71.Ai.334.
ABB.
ib
Rückseite des Horosspeers, Abb. ia.
Ein Horosspeer in Malibu
ABB.
2
ABB.
Horosspeer. Holz. Ehemals Berlin, Ägyptisches Museum 13889 (nach Schäfer [1904],
68, Abb. 1).
3a
ABB.
Horosspeer. Holz. Vorderseite. Ehemals
Berlin, Ägyptisches Museum 17338.
A n h a l t s p u n k t e , w i e die fehlenden Teile des
Gegen
stücks i n M a l i b u ( A b b . i a , b) zu ergänzen sind. D i e
D e k o r a t i o n dieser w e n i g e n Exemplare ist n i c h t e i n
85
3b
Rückseite des Horosspeers, Abb. 3a.
U n t e r h a l b der k l e i n e n , äußeren Spitzen sind U r ä e n
angebracht.
Manche
Einzelheit
der
Darstellung
bleibt
h e i t l i c h , aber stets i n mehrere A b s c h n i t t e gegliedert.
unklar, z u m a l eine N a c h p r ü f u n g an den O r i g i n a l e n
Entsprechend
n i c h t m e h r m ö g l i c h ist. N r . 1 zeigt i m oberen Feld
der Gattungsbezeichnung
gehört aber
u n b e d i n g t eine A r t v o n Speerspitzen dazu. A l l e r d i n g s
einen Falken m i t ausgebreiteten F l ü g e l n u n d D o p p e l
ist die A n o r d n u n g der zumeist dreifachen Spitzen für
krone, der a u f e i n e m K r o k o d i l zu stehen
scheint.
reale Waffen ungeeignet. N a c h H . Schäfers ansprechen
Offenbar
der V e r m u t u n g handelt es sich dabei u m die b i l d l i c h e
K r o k o d i l siegreich i n den Fängen hält. N a c h e i n e m
U m s e t z u n g einer falschen E t y m o l o g i e des W o r t e s .
10
ist gemeint,
daß
H o r o s das
sethianische
ornamental verzierten Feld m i t fünfblättiger
Rosette—
86
Parlasca
das M o t i v ist v o n d e m M u s t e r verschränkter Kreise
abgeleitet—wiederholt sich das m y t h i s c h e T h e m a i m
3. Feld. D i e D a r s t e l l u n g des z.T. ausgebrochenen 4.
Feldes läßt sich n i c h t m e h r b e s t i m m e n . D e r H o r o s
speer N r . 2 zeigt ähnliche M o t i v e ,
aber i n u n t e r
schiedlicher A u s f o r m u n g . N a c h Ausweis der InventarSkizze
fehlte die m i t t l e r e Speerspitze;
ihre
breite,
dreieckige F o r m w u r d e , w i e die P h o t o g r a p h i e n lehren
(Abb. 3a, b ) , nach A n a l o g i e v o n N r . 1 ergänzt. Das
erste Feld zeigt einen Falken m i t ausgebreiteten
geln u n d
Sonnenscheibe. Z w i s c h e n seinen
Flü
Klauen
r i n g e l t sich e i n Schlange, die sich a m l i n k e n R a n d der
besser
ausgearbeiteten
Seite
aufgerichtet
hat.
zweite Feld enthält eine D a r s t e l l u n g des
Das
anthropo-
morphen Horos m i t Falkenkopf und Doppelkrone. Er
ist n u r m i t e i n e m Schurz bekleidet, der v o r n eine
blattartige Verzierung aufweist. D e r G o t t hält seine
Lanze stoßbereit,
doch ist k e i n Gegner
angegeben.
V i e l l e i c h t ist als solcher die Schlange i m
Feld gemeint.
I n diesem
Falle m u ß
untersten
allerdings
das
A t t r i b u t der D o p p e l k r o n e a u f e i n e m Fehler des H o l z
schnitzers oder seiner Vorlage beruhen.
Das E x e m p l a r N r . 3 ist abweichend verziert. H i e r
sind n u r z w e i Lanzenspitzen angegeben; das e i g e n t l i
che B r e t t ist i m erhaltenen Teil m i t einer durchlaufen
den
Weinblattranke dekoriert.
Das
Muster
spricht
dafür, daß diese Partie n i c h t ä j o u r gearbeitet ist.
Es ist interessant, daß alle bekannten Exemplare
sich m e h r oder m i n d e r stark v o n einander unterschei
den. Trotz des o f f e n k u n d i g e n thematischen
Zusam
menhangs—abgesehen v o n B e r l i n N r . 3—liegt offen
bar k e i n festes ikonographisches Schema vor.
N i c h t ganz k l a r ist die Frage des V e r w e n d u n g s
zwecks. D i e früheren B e r l i n e r Gelehrten, A . E r m a n
als Verfasser des a n o n y m p u b l i z i e r t e n M u s e u m s k a t a
logs u n d H . Schäfer,
11
ordneten die Horosspeere den
r ö m i s c h e n Leichenbrettern zu. Damals w a r allerdings
n u r B e r l i n N r . 1 bekannt. D i e v o n Schäfer zu B e g i n n
seines Aufsatzes beiläufig erwähnten Exemplare sind
offenbar identisch m i t den beiden v o n E r m a n i n der
selben G r u p p e aufgeführten B e r l i n e r Leichenbrettern,
4
Horosspeer. Holz. Ehemals Berlin, Ägypti
sches Museum 17339 (nach Zeichnung im
Inventar, Kopie von K.-H. Priese. Neue Zeich
nung von Tim Seymour).
ABB.
12
Inv. 787 u n d 13318. A u c h sie gehören zu den K r i e g s
verlusten des M u s e u m s . D i e Sitte, die Verstorbenen—
w o h l zumeist n u r notdürftig einbalsamiert—auf einfa
chen Totenbrettern zu befestigen, ist für die Kaiserzeit
auch sonst nachzuweisen. Das B r i t i s h M u s e u m besitzt
z w e i bemerkenswerte Exemplare dieser A r t .
1 3
Die ein
fache F o r m der Totenbretter bietet lediglich eine A n d e u
t u n g des Kopfumrisses. D i e Wiedergabe einer Totenbah
re a u f der
erläutern
ovalen Fläche u n d längere Beischriften
die Z w e c k b e s t i m m u n g . G. V i t t m a n n hat
die beide B r e t t e r kürzlich eingehend analysiert.
14
Gegen die A n n a h m e , daß die Horosspeere den
M u m i e n zur Versteifung a u f den R ü c k e n
gebunden
w u r d e n , spricht m . E . die Technik. D i e relativ schma
len, durchbrochen gearbeiteten Bretter waren ihrerseits
z i e m l i c h b r u c h e m p f i n d l i c h ; i n der Tat ist k e i n E x e m
plar vollständig a u f uns g e k o m m e n ! E i n e sepulkrale
Z w e c k b e s t i m m u n g ist t r o t z d e m w a h r s c h e i n l i c h . I c h
möchte allerdings annehmen, daß die Horosspeere als
magischer Schutz eher auf den M u m i e n befestigt waren.
D i e Horosspeere gehören zweifellos i n die S p ä t
phase der ägyptischen Grabkunst. V e r m u t l i c h s t a m
m e n sie sogar erst aus der j ü n g e r e n r ö m i s c h e n K a i
serzeit.
Trotz ihres
ausgeprägt paganen
sind stilistische Beziehungen
Charakters
zur koptischen
Kunst
n i c h t zu übersehen. So haben z.B. die Falken m i t aus
gebreiteten
F l ü g e l n eine unverkennbare
Ähnlichkeit
m i t entsprechenden M o t i v e n a u f koptischen Grabste
len.
15
Das M a i n z e r E x a m p l a r ( A b b . 5 )
16
gehört m ö g l i
cherweise auch schon i n den Bereich der christlichen
Sepulkralkunst. D i e an H o r o s erinnernden
sind reduziert,
Elemente
so z.B. der anscheinend bereits
zu
e i n e m A d l e r umgedeutete Falke. D i e ,,Rosette" i n der
M i t t e ähnelt w o h l n i c h t zufällig e i n e m
griechischen
Kreuz, w i e es i n ähnlicher F o r m n i c h t selten i n der
koptischen K u n s t a u f t r i t t .
17
Die bekrönenden
Spitzen
w i r k e n r e i n ornamental.
D i e Praxis, M u m i e n a u f längliche H o l z b r e t t e r zu
b i n d e n , hat offenbar bis i n christliche Z e i t gedauert.
Verschiedene
diesem
koptische Holzschnitzereien
Verwendungszweck
ihre
verdanken
Erhaltung.
18
Ver
schiedentlich haben solche geschnitzten B r e t t e r auch
i n zweiter V e r w e n d u n g als M u m i e n d e k o r gedient.
allen diesen Fällen dürfen
w i r annehmen, daß
19
In
die
m u m i f i z i e r t e n Toten ohne einen Sarg begraben w u r
den. D i e meisten Beispiele koptischer Z e i t s t a m m e n
aus u n k o n t r o l l i e r t e n oder n i c h t ausreichend p u b l i z i e r
ten Grabungen. Es ist deshalb verständlich, daß die
Z w e c k b e s t i m m u n g als M u m i e n b r e t t e r bei E x e m p l a
ren
i n zweiter
Verwendung
häufig
nicht
erkannt
w u r d e . D i e relativ schmale F o r m der i n L ä n g s r i c h t u n g
seitlich verkürzten Stücke g i b t aber häufig einen siche
ren H i n w e i s a u f die Tatsache, daß dieser B e f u n d n i c h t
a u f einer zufälligen B e s c h ä d i g u n g , sondern a u f einer
absichtlichen R e d u k t i o n der B r e i t e beruht.
U b e r die H e r k u n f t der geschnitzten Horosspeere
ist k a u m etwas bekannt. F ü r das eine B e r l i n e r Stück
w u r d e die Provenienz E d f u v e r m u t e t . I m H i n b l i c k a u f
den E r w e r b u n g s o r t T h e b e n , ein Z e n t r u m des d a m a
ligen
Antikenhandels,
ägyptische
Provenienz
ist
sehr
mindestens
eine
ober
wahrscheinlich.
Dabei
ABB.
5
Koptisches Mumienbrett im Typus eines
Horosspeers. Mainz, Prinz Johann GeorgSammlung der Universität 38.
87
88
Parlasca
A B B .
6
Kaiserzeitliche Gaumünze aus Unterägypten
(nach J. F. Tochon d'Annecy, Recherches historiques et geographiques sur les medailles des
nomes . . . d'Egypte [Paris, 1822], Abb. S. 179).
A B B .
7
A B B .
Kaiserzeitliche Gaumünze aus Unterägypten
(nach J. F. Tochon dAnnecy, Recherches historiques et geographiques sur les medailles des
nomes . . . d'Egypte [Paris, 1822], Abb. S. 181).
a.
A B B .
b.
8
Bronzefigur des Harpokrates. Privatbesitz. Photo: Archäologisches
Institut der Universität Erlangen.
c.
d.
e.
9a-e
Späthellenistische Siegelabdrücke mit Darstellungen eines Horosspeers aus Edfu. Toronto, Royal
Ontario Museum 906.12.281, 906.12.288, 906.12.277, 906.12.283, 906.12.305 (nach Murray [1907],
Taf. 4, Nr. 43-45, 47, 53)·
spricht die relative Seltenheit dieser G r u p p e für ein
89
31
(Abb. 10-12). Sie sind offenbar als Votive zu i n t e r p r e
begrenztes Verbreitungsgebiet. Hierfür k o m m t i n der
tieren, da sie a u f g r u n d ihrer F o r m g e b u n g als Waffen
Tat v o r a l l e m E d f u i n Betracht, w o sich verschiedene
ungeeignet sind. D e r untere Teil besteht j e w e i l s aus
A n a l o g i e n nachweisen lassen.
einer r u n d e n Tülle, die zur A u f n a h m e eines dünnen
D e r Horosspeer ist vielfach i n religiösen Texten
hölzernen
Schafts
belegt—allerdings n i c h t i n sepulkralem K o n t e x t . I m
schmalere
Teil
Festkalender des H o r o s t e m p e l s v o n E d f u erscheint als
B e k r ö n u n g , die i n e i n e m Falle d e u t l i c h als F a l k e n p r o -
Gottesattribut
ein
Holz
des
Horos.
2 0
In
diesem
b e s t i m m t war.
darüber
zeigt
D e r vierkantige,
eine
unregelmäßige
t o m e ausgearbeitet ist ( A b b . 12). D i e beiden anderen
Z u s a m m e n h a n g findet m a n i n der Sekundärliteratur
Spitzen haben eine u n r e g e l m ä ß i g e F o r m , sind aber
H i n w e i s e a u f kaiserzeitliche M ü n z e n des p r o s o p i t i -
deutlich als A b s t r a k t i o n einer V o g e l p r o t o m e k e n n t l i c h
schen Gaues i n U n t e r ä g y p t e n .
21
auf
(Abb. 10, 11). I n z w e i Fällen erkennt m a n a u f d e m
Hadrian zwei Typen von Rücksei
Absatz i n der M i t t e eine figürliche Gruppe. D e r f a l -
tendarstellungen, ein stehender Harpokrates m i t ge
kenköpfige H o r o s m i t D o p p e l k r o n e hat ein K r o k o d i l
P r ä g u n g e n des
H i e r gibt
es
schulterter Keule ( A b b . 6) bzw. eine einzelne Keule
(Abb. 7 ) .
2 2
D a i n beiden Fällen a u f der Waffe ein
gefesselt ( A b b . 10, 12). B e i z w e i Stücken ist a m T ü l
lenteil eine K ö n i g s s p h i n x ( A b b . i o )
3 2
bzw. ein Falke
Falke sitzt, ist der A t t r i b u t - C h a r a k t e r der Keule of
(Abb. 11) angebracht.
f e n k u n d i g . D i e häufige K o n t a m i n a t i o n v o n H o r o s -
Absatz eine R i n g ö s e , die bei echten Waffen w o h l für
A l l e drei O b j e k t e haben
am
Harpokrates als Sohn des O s i r i s u n d der Isis m i t d e m
die H a r p u n e n l e i n e b e s t i m m t war. Eine Variante m i t
ursprünglich n i c h t a n t h r o p o m o r p h e n Falkengott v o n
Falkenprotome w u r d e v o r einigen Jahren v o m A s h m o -
Edfu
2 3
w i r d auch hier deutlich. A u f einer E m i s s i o n
fehlt allerdings der F a l k e .
24
auffallenden
33
Die
spezifische Rolle des Horosspeers i n E d f u w i r d d u r c h
I n e i n e m früheren B e i t r a g hatte i c h m i c h m i t
dem
lean M u s e u m i n O x f o r d e r w o r b e n ( A b b . 1 3 ) .
Keulenattribut
bei
bestimmten
H a r p o k r a t e s - D a r s t e l l u n g e n befaßt u n d die Interpreta
t i o n als Herakles-Harpokrates b e g r ü n d e t .
25
A l s selte
b i l d l i c h e Wiedergaben u n d Texte i m d o r t i g e n H o r o s tempel belegt.
det
sich
34
auch
E i n e entsprechende D a r s t e l l u n g f i n
im
Hathortempel
von
Dendera
(Abb. 14), d o r t m i t der Beischrift ,,der e h r w ü r d i g e
nere Variante sei an dieser Stelle a u f eine B r o n z e f i g u r
Stock des H o r o s v o n Edfu, des großen Gottes,
i n einer deutschen P r i v a t s a m m l u n g hingewiesen; sie
H e r r n des H i m m e l s . '
zeigt den k i n d l i c h e n G o t t sitzend ( A b b . 8 ) .
2 6
Meine
frühere D e u t u n g m u ß v e r m u t l i c h m o d i f i z i e r t werden.
< 3 5
zerne, kultische Pfahl des Falkengottes bei
chenden
D a r s t e l l u n g e n als Faucon au visage
36
des
I n E d f u selbst w i r d der h ö l
entspre
puissant
D i e V e r b i n d u n g des Harpokrates m i t d e m k i n d l i c h e n
bezeichnet.
Herakles ist anscheinend n u r eine sekundäre E r w e i t e
die besondere E i g n u n g des Falkengottes für a p o t r o -
r u n g der synkretistischen E r s c h e i n u n g s f o r m e n dieses
päische Z w e c k e aus u n d gehören demnach
Gottes. D e r v o n m i r i m selben Z u s a m m e n h a n g
be
weite Feld paganer G r a b k u n s t w ä h r e n d der späten,
sprochene männliche
el-
kaiserzeitlichen K u l t u r p e r i o d e des N i l l a n d e s . Damals
stellt v e r m u t l i c h t r o t z der auffallenden solaren
erlebte die stark v o n magischen K o m p o n e n t e n geprägte
Hibe
2 7
Torso i n H e i d e l b e r g aus
M o t i v e a u f d e m Schurz n i c h t
Harpokrates-Harsaphes
dar, sondern einen r ö m i s c h e n Kaiser, vielleicht C o m modus.
28
Sichere b i l d l i c h e Zeugnisse für den
Horosspeer
aus E d f u sind i n der umfangreichen Serie späthelleni
stischer
Siegelabdrücke erhalten ( A b b . 9 a - e ) .
29
Die
verschiedenen Varianten machen d e u t l i c h , daß es k e i
nen kanonischen Typus gegeben hat. D i e B e l i e b t h e i t
dieses A t t r i b u t s w i r d ferner i l l u s t r i e r t d u r c h eine Serie
kleiner A m u l e t t e , bei denen allerdings keine k u l t g e o
graphische E i n g r e n z u n g m ö g l i c h zu sein s c h e i n t .
30
In
j e d e m Falle sind die großen, hölzernen Horosspeere
i k o n o g r a p h i s c h bereicherte W e i t e r b i l d u n g e n .
Eine G r u p p e interessanter Parallelen des B e r l i
ner M u s e u m s
w u r d e i n K o p t o s ausgegraben: drei
Bronzegeräte, die w i e Spitzen v o n H a r p u n e n aussehen
Diese u n d andere Epitheta machen auch
i n das
S e p u l k r a l s y m b o l i k Ä g y p t e n s i h r e letzte B l ü t e .
Frankfurt am M a i n
90
Parlasca
ABB.
10-12
Drei Bronzegeräte in Form von Harpunenspitzen. Berlin, Ägyptisches Museum
22571, 22570, und 22569 (nach Petrie, Koptos, Taf. 21, Nr. 4-6).
ABB.
13
Stabaufsatz aus Bronze (Horosspeer). Oxford,
Ashmolean Museum 1986.14.
ABB.
14
Horosstab. Detail eines Reliefs am Hathortempel zu Dendera (nach Schäfer [1904], 69,
Abb. 7).
ANMERKUNGEN
ι. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum 71.Ai.334; L: 79,3 cm, B: 14 cm;
erworben 1971 von der Firma J. Eisenberg, New York und Los
Angeles. Marion True verdanke ich Photos und die bereitwil
lig erteilte Publikationserlaubnis, Karen Manchester einige
ergänzende Informationen.
2. a.U., Anm. 30.
3. H. Schäfer, „Der Speer des Horus als Rückenbrett von
Mumien und als Amulett," Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache 41
(1904), 68-70.
4. Andere, in der Mehrzahl zuvor unpublizierte Aegyptiaca unter
den Kriegsverlusten der Staatlichen Museen in Berlin habe ich
in folgenden Beiträgen behandelt: „Zur Stellung der
Terenuthis-Stelen—Eine Gruppe römischer Grabreliefs aus
Ägypten in Berlin," MDIK 26 (1970), 173-198, Taf. 60-69;
„Eine Gruppe römischer Sepulkralreliefs aus Ägypten," FuB
14 (1972), 72-78, Taf. 5-8; „Falkenstelen aus Edfu: Bemer
kungen zu einer Gruppe zerstörter Reliefs des Berliner
Museums," Festschrift zum 150-jährigen Bestehen des Berliner
Ägyptischen Museums (Berlin, 1975), 483-487, Taf. 82-88;
„Ägyptisierende Bauglieder und Reliefs aus Rom im Ägypti
schen Museum," FuB 18 (1977), 59-65, Taf. 10-14.
5. Prinz Johann Georg-Sammlung des Kunsthistorischen Insti
tuts der Universität Mainz als Leihgabe im Landesmuseum
Mainz, Inv. 38; erworben 1928 in Luxor; H : 80,7 cm, B:
12 cm. Johann Georg, Herzog zu Sachsen, Neue Streifzüge
durch die Kirchen und Klöster Ägyptens (Leipzig und Berlin,
!93°)>
Taf. 78.169 (die Abbildung steht auf dem Kopf!).
Die Datierung des Verfassers in das 8.-10. Jahrhundert n.Chr.
ist zu spät, selbst wenn man seine christliche Interpretation
akzeptiert. Κ. V. Decker verdanke ich die Photographie und
die freundliche Reproduktionserlaubnis.
6. Zum mythologischen Hintergrund vgl. H. Bonnet, Reallexi
kon der ägyptischen Religionsgeschichte (Berlin, 1952), 317;
J. Gwyn Griffiths, Reallexikon der Ägyptologie, Bd. 3 (Wiesbaden, 1977), 60, s.v. Horusspeer, bespricht nur Amulette und
Tempelreliefs in Edfu. Ausführlichere Nachweise in der früheren Publikation desselben Autors, The Conflict of Horus and
Seth from Egyptian and Classical Sources (Liverpool, i960), no.
7. Inv. 13889; erworben 1897 Theben. Erhaltene L: 0,93 m.
Schäfer (a.O., Anm. 3), 68f£, Abb. 1 (Zeichnung); A. Erman,
Ausführliches Verzeichnis der ägyptischen Altertümer, 2. Aufl.
(Berlin, 1899), 358; Valdemar Schmidt, Levende og dode i det
gamle Aegypten: Album (Kopenhagen, 1919), 233, Abb. 1345
(auch enthalten im Teildruck unter dem Titel Sarkofager,
Mumiekister, Mumiehylstre og lign., 175, Abb. 1345).
8. Inv. 17338; erworben in Luxor für die koptische Sammlung
des Kaiser-Friedrich-Museums (ohne Inv. Nr.); 1905 an das
Ägyptische Museum überwiesen, L: 1,11 m.
9. Inv. 17339; Herkunft wie bei vorigem Stück, L: 0,77 m.
W. Müller sei auch an dieser Stelle für die Publikationserlaubnis der Berliner Exemplare gedankt. Abb. 4 nach einer
Κ. H. Priese verdankten Kopie der Skizze im Inventar des
Museums, der bereitwillig alle ergänzenden Fragen beant
wortete.
10. Schäfer (a.O., Anm. 3), 69.
11. a.O, Anm. 7, bzw. 3.
12. Ausführliches Verzeichnis a.O. (Anm. 7), 358.
13. E. A. W. Budge, Α Guide to the First, Second and Third Egyptian
Rooms, 3. Aufl. (London, 1924), I38f, Nr. 4 und 5; ders., The
Mummy (Cambridge, 1925), 22of; I . E. S. Edwards, A Hand
book to the Egyptian Mummies and Coffins in the British Museum
(London, 1938), 57, Inv. 36502 und 35464; von beiden Auto
ren als ,,memorial boards" bezeichnet.
14. Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache 117 (1990), 79ff, Taf. 3-5
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
(Inv. 35464), bzw. Festschrift für Gertrud Thausing (im Druck
= Inv. 36502). Dem Verfasser verdanke ich ergänzende Hin
weise zu seinen Studien.
E. Lucchesi Palli, in Etudes Nubiennes—Colloque de Chantilly 2—6.
Juli igj5 (Kairo, 1978), 175fr. mit weiteren Nachweisen zur
ornithologischen Bestimmung von Vogel-Darstellungen in
der koptischen Kunst.
a.O., Anm. 5.
An dieser Stelle genügt der Hinweis auf einige anschauliche
Parallelen: M . Cramer, Das altägyptische Lebenszeichen im christ
lichen (koptischen) Ägypten, 3. Aufl. (Wiesbaden, 1955), 9, Taf.
4.7, bzw. 29; 48, Taf. 18.38; dies., Archäologische und epigraphi
sche Klassifikation koptischer Denkmäler des Metropolitan Museum
of Art, New York, und des Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Wiesba
den, 1957), i 3 f , Taf. I 4 f , Abb. 23-25 ( = Boston, Museum of
Fine Arts 04.1846 und 04.1848, sowie New York, Metropolitan
Museum of Art 10.176.31); ferner A. Effenberger, Koptische
Kunst (Leipzig, 1975), 210, Taf. 37, 39 und 41 ( = Berlin, Inv.
4481, 4486 und 4482); A. Badawy, Coptic Art and Archaeology
(Cambridge, Mass., 1978), 213, 216-218, und 215, Abb. 3.211.
A. L. Schmitz, „Das Totenwesen der Kopten," Zeitschrift für
ägyptische Sprache 65 (1930), I 2 f , mit Hinweis auf O. Wulff
und W. F. Volbach, Die altchristlichen . . . Bildwerke, Ergän
zungsband (Berlin und Leipzig, 1923), 11, Nr. 6692, Abb.
Vgl. L. Keimer, „Note sur une planchette en bois sculpte des
IV ou V siecles apres J.-O," Bulletin de l'Institut d'Egypte 28
(1945-1946), 48, der allerdings derartige Holzfunde als Teile
von Särgen interpretiert. Das Thema verdient eine systema
tische Untersuchung. Auch die neueste Publikation koptischer
Holzfunde enthält anscheinend entsprechende Beispiele, M . H. Rutschowscaya, Catalogue des bois de VEgypte copte, Musee du
Louvre (Paris, 1986), 99ff, Nr. 336 und 339, mit Abb. (Die
Objekte Nr. 359-363 sind meiner Ansicht nach falsch!).
H. Brugsch, Drei Fest-Kalender des Tempels von Apollinopolis
Magna in Ober-Ägypten (Leipzig, 1877), Taf. 7. III, col. 3, und
Taf. 10, col. 5. Neuere Literatur, s.u., Anm. 34-35.
So z.B. Bonnet (a.O., Anm. 6), 317.
F. Feuardent, Collection G di Demetrio—Numismatique—Egypte
ancienne, Bd. 2 (Paris, 1872), 3i9f, Nr. 3561 bzw. 3562, mit
Abb.; zuletzt mit weiteren Nachweisen A. Geissen und
W. Weiser, Katalog Alexandyinischer Kaisermünzen . . . der Uni
versität Köln, Bd. 4 (Opladen, 1983), I44ff, Nr. 3423-3425
bzw. 3426, mit Abb.
Vgl. die bis in die Kaiserzeit reichende Entwicklung bei den
Votivstelen: Parlasca, „Falkenstelen" (a.O, Anm. 4), 486 mit
weiteren Nachweisen.
Feuardent (a.O., Anm. 22), 320, Nr. 3563, mit Abb.; danach
K. Parlasca, Akten des 24. Internationalen Orientalistenkongresses
München, 1957 (Wiesbaden, 1959), 72, Abb. S. 74.
Parlasca (a.O., Anm. 24), 7iff. Zur Liste 72, Anm. 3, einige
Nachträge: Das Goldfigürchen, Taf. 9 rechts, wurde in Luzern
versteigert: Ars Antiqua, Auktion IV (7. Dez. 1962), 7, Nr. 10,
Taf. 5, jetzt in Schloß Fasanerie bei Fulda, Kurhessische Haus
stiftung. Zum verschollenen, bereits von J. J. Winckelmann
edierten Relief, vgl. jetzt A. Roullet, The Egyptian and Egyptianizing Monuments of Imperial Rome (Leiden, 1972), 64,
Nr. 46, Taf. 49.65 mit weiterer Lit. Die Gemme des Ägypti
schen Museums in Berlin, Inv. 9767, H. Philipp, Mira et
Magica (Mainz, 1986), 72, Nr. 88, Taf. 21, ohne Diskussion des
ikonographischen Problems.
Ehemals Sammlung H. Seyrig; Basel, Münzen und Medail
len, Auktion 60, Kunstwerke der Antike (19. September 1982),
62, Nr. 125, mit Abb.: „Pantheistischer Harpokrates," H:
9,2 cm. Der Erhaltungszustand—die untere Partie ist
abgebrochen—spricht dafür, daß die Figur Teil einer größeren
(Isis-)Statuette gewesen ist. Ein vollständiges Exemplar dieses
e
20.
21.
22.
m
23.
24.
25.
26.
91
e
92
27.
28.
29.
30.
Pariasca
Typus hat kürzlich J. Quaegebeur publiziert (s.u., Anm. 28),
a.O. 161, Abb. 2 (Oxford, Ashmolean Museum 1973.569).
Ägyptologisches Institut der Universität, Inv. 1028; H . Ranke,
Koptische Friedhöfe bei Karära und der Amontempel Scheschonks I.
bei el-Hibe (Berlin, 1926), 4 i f , Taf. 12.1, 2; Parlasca (a.O.,
Anm. 24), 73, Taf. 10 (Ausschnitt).
J. Quaegebeur, in E. Feucht, Hrsg., Vom Nil zum Neckar:
Kunstschätze Ägyptens aus pharaonischer und koptischer Zeit an der
Universität Heidelberg (Berlin, Heidelberg und New York,
1986), n 8 f , Nr. 268, Abb.; ders., ,,Une statue egyptienne
representant Heracles-Melqart?" Studia Phoenicia 5, Orientalia
Lovaniensia analecta 22 (Leuven, 1987), 157fr., Abb. 1.
M . A. Murray, ,,Ptolemaic Clay-Sealings," Zeitschrift für
Ägyptische Sprache 44 (1907), 6g€, Nr. 43-47, und 53, Taf. 4 ( =
Toronto, Royal Ontario Museum; die hier abgebildeten Exem
plare: 906.12.281 ( = Nr. 43); 906.12.288 und .289 ( = Nr. 44);
906.12.277 und .278 ( = Nr. 45); 906.12.283, .284 und .285
( = Nr. 47); 906.12.305 und .306 ( = Nr. 53).
Schäfer (a.O., Anm. 3), 69f, Abb. 4 (Berlin, Inv. 15125);
danach Bonnet (a.O., Anm. 6), 317, Abb. 80; W. M . F. Petrie,
Amulets (London, 1914, Reprint, 1972), 48, Nr. 243, Taf. 4ia-d.
Im reichen Material der betreffenden Bände des Kairiner
General-Katalogs von G. A. Reisner, Amulets, vols. 1, 2 (Kairo,
1907, 1958) ist dieser Typus nicht vertreten.
31. W. M . F. Petrie, Koptos (London, 1896), 23f, Taf. 21.4-6
(danach unsere Abb. 10—12, nach Frau M . Kempers verdankten
Vorlagen); Schäfer (a.O., Anm. 3), 69, Abb. 5.6 ( = Petrie,
Taf. 21.6, bzw. 21.5); G. Roeder, Ägyptische Bronzefiguren (Ber
lin, 1956), 435f, § 600; 457f, § 624, Abb. 696 ( = Inv. 20569),
Abb. 697 ( = Inv. 20571), ferner Inv. 20570, ohne Abb. Ebendort 457, Abb. 654 und 655 zwei ähnliche Exemplare im Brit
ish Museum ( = Inv. 51/5498 und 52/5499).
32. Petrie (a.O., Anm. 31), Taf. 21.4; Roeder (a.O., Anm. 31), 458,
Abb. 697. Diese interessante Variante ist bei Schäfer (a.O.,
Anm. 3) nicht erwähnt.
33. Inv. 1986.14; H : 10,7 cm; Annual Report of the Ashmolean
Museum (1985-1986), 25, Taf. 2 (,,Ptolemaic").
34. a.O., Anm. 20. Zuletzt J.-C. Goyon, Les soixantes dieuxgardiens du temple d'Edfou, Bibliotheque d'etudes, 93.1 (Kairo,
1985), 32, nach einem E. Winter verdankten Hinweis.
35. W. Spiegelberg, ,,Der Stabkultus bei den Aegyptern," Recueil
des Travaux relatifs ä la philologie et ä Varcheologie egyptiennes et
assyriennes 25 = n.s. 9 (1903), 186 mit Skizze; danach Schäfer
(a.O., Anm. 3), 70, Anm. 7; Goyon (a.O., Anm. 34), 32,
Anm. 5, Abb. 4 mit weiteren Nachweisen.
36. Goyon (a.O., Anm. 34), 32.
93
The Getty Homer Fragment
MARIANINA
OLCOTT
N o w i n residence at the G e t t y M u s e u m is a rather
final letter o f l i n e 3 is t o o m u t i l a t e d t o be useful.
7
fragment
T h e G e t t y verso presents some interesting d i v e r
i d e n t i f i e d as h a v i n g been w r i t t e n s o m e t i m e i n the late
gences f r o m the text o f H o m e r as w e f i n d i t today.
second or early first c e n t u r y B . c . , w h i c h possibly m a y
The
be a t t r i b u t e d t o a scribe w o r k i n g i n the F a y u m some
Odyssey 21.90. I n a d d i t i o n , l i n e 8 o f the G e t t y verso
small b u t
p o t e n t i a l l y significant papyrus
1
most
obvious
difference
is
the
omission
of
t i m e d u r i n g that p e r i o d (figs, i a , b ) . A l t h o u g h the
cannot be i d e n t i f i e d w i t h any verse i n the i m m e d i a t e
recto text has p r e v i o u s l y been i d e n t i f i e d as
context o f the passage Odyssey 21.1-200, a l t h o u g h sub
Homer
Odyssey 10.397-403, the verso text has thus far eluded
identification.
2
sequent e x a m i n a t i o n o f the verso text offers
suggestions for a tentative reconstruction.
some
We also
O f the seven lines o f w r i t i n g across the vertical
f i n d that verso l i n e 7 departs f r o m the text i n o u r
fibers o f the rougher, verso surface, w h i c h Brashear
current editions o f H o m e r (see note 6). I n the verso
published i n 1983,
3
four appear to c o n t a i n a lemma
text the p r o n o u n α υ τ ό ν qualifies the I o n i c f o r m o f the
( λ έ μ μ α , direct quote f r o m the text under discussion),
t h i r d person singular p r o n o u n μ ι ν , a frequent
and
Odyssey
rence i n H o m e r . T h u s , this departure f r o m o u r m o d
21.91-94 = G e t t y verso lines 4 - 7 ; w e m i g h t even add
ern editions m a y represent a true variant t o the text o f
I have tentatively i d e n t i f i e d t h e m
Odyssey 21.89
=
as
G e t t y verso l i n e 3. T h u s , verso lines
3-7 can, w i t h the c u s t o m a r y caution, be reconstructed
occur
8
this
passage. T h e
Odyssey
o n l y other
21.91-94 is a parchment
attested instance o f
codex o f the t h i r d
according to Brashear's r e a d i n g . I n the reconstruction
c e n t u r y A . D . listed as Papyrus Rylands 1.53 ( =
that follows, Brashear's reading o f the verso is set i n t o
no. 1106), i n w h i c h the text o f these specific lines has
4
the passage f r o m Odyssey 21.91-94.
line ι
been extensively restored b y the editors.
5
ν = Too l i t t l e remains for i d e n t i f i c a t i o n ,
line 2
. ε ρ ε ι θ = Does n o t appear to be identifiable,
line 3
. μ ε ν ο ύ = αλλ ά κ έ ω ν δ α ί ν υ σ θ ε κ α θ ή μ ε ν ο ι ή έ
θύραζε =
OJ.2i.89
(Od.21.90 is n o t represented i n the verso fragment.)
line 4
ov = μ ν η σ τ ή ρ ε ο σ ι ν άεθλον ά ά α τ ο ν · ού γ α ρ
οϊω =
Od.2i.gi
line 5
νεντα = ρηϊδίως τόδε τόξον έύξοον
line 6
ι ε ν τ ο ι = ο ύ γ α ρ τις μ έ τ α τ ο ί ο ς ά ν ή ρ ε ν
έ ν τ α ν ύ ε σ θ α ι = Od. 21.92
τοίσδεσι πάσιν =
line 7
Od.21.93
line 8
9
W h a t precisely the situation presented i n the verso
m a y be, is difficult t o decide. However, a tentative
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f the text featured i n the G e t t y verso
m a y be offered. I f w e are dealing w i t h a so-called
subliterary text, as I suspect w e are, then all b u t one o f
the discrepancies (i.e., the variant reading α υ τ ό ν for
α υ τ ό ς ) between the text o f the G e t t y verso and the
textus receptus o f our m o d e r n editions can be explained.
Precisely w h i c h type o f subliterary text this m a y be
cannot be d e t e r m i n e d ,
since all types o f subliterary
texts (i.e., h y p o m n e m a t a ,
scholia, lexica, and
sum
maries) provide formats pertinent to a complete descrip
ν α υ τ ο ν = οίος Ό δ υ σ σ ε ύ ς ε σ κ ε ν εγώ δέ
μ ι ν α υ τ ό ν * ό π ω π α = Od.21.94
Pack
t i o n o f the verso text.
6
ο β α σ ι λ = cannot be i d e n t i f i e d w i t h any verse
i n the v i c i n i t y o f Od. 21.1-200.
A salient feature o f the G e t t y verso is the b l a n k
space at l i n e 4. B l a n k spaces occur frequently i n p a p y r i
i n a variety o f circumstances i n subliterary texts. For
I have adopted Brashear's suggestions for l i n e 6,
example, b l a n k spaces set o f f the lemma f r o m the sur
w h e r e the final letter m a y be an iota. F u r t h e r m o r e , the
r o u n d i n g c o m m e n t a r y . A n excellent example o f this
94
Olcott
use o f b l a n k space is f o u n d i n E. G. Turner's collec
c o m m e n t a r y o n verso lines 1-3 and 8, namely,
t i o n , Greek
w o r d ά ά α τ ο ς / ά ά α τ ο ν , i n m u c h the same w a y that
Manuscripts
of the Ancient
1971), no. 61 (— Οxyrhynchus
World ( O x f o r d ,
Papyri 31.2536). Here, i n
the h y p o m n e m a (scholarly c o m m e n t a r y w i t h
b l a n k space was used i n POxy
lemma),
the
8.1086.
There is n o d o u b t that, aside f r o m its m o r p h o l
the direct quote f r o m the text excerpted for c o m m e n t
ogy,
is set o f f b y b l a n k space. O r , the b l a n k space m a y be
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n . I n the three k n o w n H o m e r i c instances,
used t o punctuate the lemma, as i n Papyrus
inv.
Michigan
4832c col. I , l i n e 6, and col. I I , l i n e 5.
10
I n this
αάατος/άάατον
presents serious problems
of
a m e a n i n g appropriate t o Odyssey 21.91 and 22.5 w i l l
n o t f i t w i t h Iliad
14.271. A n d none o f these choices
example, w e f i n d a paraphrase or s u m m a r y o f books 18
appears t o f i t w i t h the occurrence
and 19 o f the Iliad i n w h i c h several quotes f r o m the
Apollonius Rhodius.
closing
were n o t i c e d early o n i n the scholarly t r a d i t i o n is n o
portions
o f book
18 and
the
opening
of
b o o k 19 are i n c o r p o r a t e d i n t o the s u m m a r y .
doubt
Perhaps for o u r purposes the m o s t i n s t r u c t i v e
example o f the use o f b l a n k space is f o u n d i n a f i r s t c e n t u r y - B . c . papyrus fragment, POxy
reflected
14
o f the w o r d i n
T h a t these semantic difficulties
i n the
wealth o f commentary
on
ά ά α τ ο ς / ά ά α τ ο ν , b o t h ancient and m o d e r n (see below,
note 16).
8.1086 ( = Pack
I f this is the case (i.e., that the G e t t y verso repre
no. 1173). T h i s extensive fragment (410 X 232 m m ) ,
sents an h y p o m n e m a o n ά ά α τ ο ς / ά ά α τ ο ν ) , t h e n w e
reproduced
as
have here the earliest extant example o f c o m m e n t a r y
POxy
u p o n a w o r d that receives a t t e n t i o n , t o some extent,
by A . S. H u n t , is p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t e r e s t i n g for several
o u t o f p r o p o r t i o n to its five occurrences i n extant
no. 58
11
in
facsimile
in
Turner's
collection
and first p u b l i s h e d i n v o l u m e 8 o f the
reasons.
12
First, according t o H u n t , i t m a r k s an i m
Greek literature (see note 14). A later papyrus frag
p o r t a n t stage i n the transmission o f the scholarly t r a
m e n t i n the B r i t i s h M u s e u m , a t t r i b u t e d b y H . J. M .
d i t i o n c o n c e r n i n g the text o f H o m e r i n i t i a t e d b y the
M i l n e t o the a t t i c i z i n g lexicographer P h r y n i c h u s A r a -
famous
Alexandrian
scholar
Aristarchos
(217/215—
bius
(second
145/143 B . C . ) . Second, i t offers a f o r m a t that shares
instance
several features w i t h the G e t t y verso.
22.5.
(POxy
I n this text
8.1086) o f a c o m m e n t a r y o n b o o k 2 o f the
15
century
A.D.),
of άάατος/άάατον
T h i s latter instance
focuses
from
on
another
Homer
Odyssey
o f an h y p o m n e m a
on
ά ά α τ ο ς / ά ά α τ ο ν c o n f i r m s the interest that the w o r d
Iliad, lines 7 5 i f f , w e f i n d b l a n k spaces used to set o f f
has exercised
w o r d s i n the lemma, w h i c h are then the focus for sub
f r o m the v e r y b e g i n n i n g s o f classical scholarship.
o n successive generations
o f scholars
16
sequent c o m m e n t . For example, i n c o l u m n I , lines 38
T h i s conjecture that the G e t t y verso represents
and 39, b l a n k space is used to m a r k the focus o f the
an h y p o m n e m a is v e r y attractive for several reasons.
explanatory c o m m e n t o n π ε π υ σ μ ε ν α =
Iliad
2.777.
First o f all, ά ά α τ ο ς / ά ά α τ ο ν , the conjectured focus o f
A g a i n i n c o l u m n I I , lines 51 and 53, spaces m a r k the
the h y p o m n e m a preserved o n the G e t t y verso,
verb σ τ ε ν α χ ι ζ ε τ ο (II. 2.784) and the c o m m e n t o n that
excites scholarly debate today, as i t has i n the past.
still
w o r d . S i m i l a r l y , spaces at c o l u m n I I , l i n e 56, m a r k the
C e n t r a l t o the discussions f o u n d i n every p e r i o d is the
w o r d α λ ε γ ε ι ν η ι (//. 2.787) and again i n c o l u m n I I I ,
a t t e m p t t o fix the d e r i v a t i o n o f this w o r d and its
l i n e 91, the focus o f the c o m m e n t , κ ο λ ω ν η , is set o f f
related n o u n ά τ η (or α ά τ η as i n H e s i o d
by b l a n k space.
13
F r o m these last examples i t seems
230).
Theogonia
T h r o u g h o u t this t r a d i t i o n , f r o m the ancient l e x
reasonable t o conclude that the space at G e t t y verso
icographers t o m o d e r n researchers i n linguistics, d i f
l i n e 4 is used t o focus a t t e n t i o n o n the w o r d i m m e
ferent scholars p r o v i d e different Greek verbs as the
diately preceding the space, namely, the curious Greek
source o f α τ η / ά ά τ η (usually p e r i l , r u i n , destruction)
adjective ά ά α τ ο ς / ά ά α τ ο ν .
and its related adjective ά ά α χ ο ς / ά ά α τ ο ν .
Despite the a m b i g u i t y over w h a t type o f subl i t e r a r y text w e are dealing w i t h , i t seems reasonable
to
assume that at G e t t y verso l i n e 4 the H o m e r i c
But
1 7
e t y m o l o g y is n o t the o n l y area where this
w o r d elicits debate. A consideration o f its f o u r oc
currences i n Greek—and
I add a
fifth,
the variant
lemma continues after the b l a n k space w i t h ο ύ γ α ρ ό ϊ ω
reading o f A p o l l o n i u s R h o d i u s 1.803—reveals that n o
(Od.
one m e t r i c a l pattern w i l l fit a l l occurrences.
21.91), for the subsequent lines, 5, 6, and 7,
Indeed,
appear to quote an u n i n t e r r u p t e d text (i.e., Od. 2 1 . 9 1 -
Iliad
94). T h u s , a l t h o u g h the purpose o f the space at G e t t y
examples: u — X versus u - u X for all other instances.
verso l i n e 4 is a m b i g u o u s g i v e n its varied use i n all
Perhaps o f significance is the fact that i n Iliad
types o f subliterary texts, one is nonetheless t e m p t e d
this strange w o r d is used as the epithet o f Styx's water,
to
w h i c h according t o the ancient m y t h o l o g i c a l t r a d i t i o n
conclude that the space indicates the focus o f a
14.271 presents a scansion n o t shared b y other
14.271
FIGURE
FIGURE
ia
Papyrus fragment. Recto. Malibu, J. Paul Getty
Museum 76.Ai.56. Reproduced 2:1.
95
lb
Verso of papyrus fragment, figure ia.
was the m o s t sacred oath o f the Gods o n M o u n t
to PMich
O l y m p o s ( H e s i o d Theogonia 400). Just as p r o s o d y and
note 10), where lemmata are interspersed
e t y m o l o g y present a confused picture, j u s t so w e note
the narrative, w e m a y i d e n t i f y one a d d i t i o n a l l i n e i n
that all o f the current, m o d e r n translations for even
our
one o f the occurrences o f the w o r d , Odyssey
l i n e 3.
22.5,
offer renderings that are m u t u a l l y exclusive:
" T h a t m a t c h is played and w o n ! " (Ε. V. Rieu,
P e n g u i n Classics, 1946, r e p r i n t 1964)
" A t last, at last the e n d i n g o f this fearful strain."
(Τ. E . Lawrence, O x f o r d , 1969)
"So m u c h for that. Y o u r clean-cut game is over."
(R. Fitzgerald, A n c h o r , 1963)
" T h i s i n v i o l a b l e contest has been b r o u g h t t o an
end " ( A . C o o k , N o r t o n , 1967)
T h u s i t is v e r y t e m p t i n g t o conclude that w h a t
i n v . 4832c (second-first century B . C . , see
reconstruction,
Odyssey
21.89
throughout
— Getty
verso
As for the last l i n e o f the G e t t y verso, l i n e 8, ο
βασιλ,
some tentative b u t possible
reconstructions
m a y be b r o u g h t f o r w a r d . First, the letters β α σ ι λ are
clearly
related
to
the
Greek
noun
for
"king,"
β α σ ι λ ε ύ ς , and the adjective derived f r o m that n o u n ,
β α σ ι λ ι κ ό ς , " r o y a l . " B o t h these w o r d s are f o u n d fre
quently
i n closures
to
hypomnemata,
where
the
scribe, i n c i t i n g either his o w n name or the name o f
the scholar quoted i n the c o m m e n t , presents the f o l
l o w i n g f o r m a t , as i n POxy
47.3345, l i n e 43:
ό του ν ο μ ο ύ βασιλικός γ ρ α μ μ α τ ε ύ ς Α μ μ ώ ν ι ο ς .
w e have here is indeed some sort o f scholarly c o m
I n some cases the f o r m u l a i n the genitive t o denote
m e n t a r y o n the w o r d ά ά α τ ο ς / ά ά α τ ο ν i n w h i c h a s i g
t i m e is used to date the document, as i n POxy
nificant p o r t i o n (three lines) o f the s u r r o u n d i n g text is
l i n e 15:
quoted and i n c o r p o r a t e d i n t o the c o m m e n t a r y .
If, as I have suggested, the G e t t y verso is an
h y p o m n e m a w i t h lemmata quoted ad l i b i t u m s i m i l a r
46.3279,
Νικάνδρου βασιλικού γραμματέως
As
Brashear noted, the recto text appears t o
reach t o the b o t t o m m a r g i n o f the papyrus r o l l , w h i l e
96
Olcott
the verso text extends i n t o the b o t t o m m a r g i n . I t s t i l l
f o r m e d w i t h t w o strokes: vertical hasta capped b y a
seems safe t o conclude that G e t t y verso l i n e 8, ο
h o r i z o n t a l bar, w h i c h i n PFayum
β α σ ι λ , is indeed the last l i n e o f the verso text and that
recto line 1 exhibit serifs o n the h o r i z o n t a l left member.
o u r fragmentary text includes some f o r m o f the cus
t o m a r y f o r m u l a for closing h y p o m n e m a t a .
4.3 and 6 and G e t t y
Interestingly e n o u g h taus o f the G e t t y verso text
lines 5, 6, and 7 are also presented as a c u r v e d stroke
A s far as the physical d i s p o s i t i o n o f the verso
text as a w h o l e is concerned, the verso lemma,
ar
f o r m i n g left portions w h i l e the r i g h t m e m b e r is a h o r i
zontal stroke, w h i c h , as was n o t e d by Brashear,
24
sug
ranged verse by verse ( κ α τ ά σ τ ί χ ο ν ) and i n c o n t i n u o u s
gests that the hands o f the G e t t y recto and verso m a y
script (i.e., n o w o r d divisions except for the space at
be the same despite the larger letters o f the verso text.
l i n e 4), occupies a p p r o x i m a t e l y the same p o s i t i o n i n
Serifs are a regular feature o f letters i n b o t h the
the c o l u m n as the recto text, and, similarly, preserves
G e t t y and the PFayum
i n i t i a l p o r t i o n s o f the second h e m i s t i c h (i.e., second
s i m i l a r l y f o r m e d i n all, are decorated w i t h serifs o n
h a l f o f the verse).
A
18
4 papyrus fragments. U p s i l a ,
the base o f the vertical stroke at PFayum
consideration o f the verso script c o n f i r m s
4.11, G e t t y
recto line 1, and G e t t y verso l i n e 7. L i k e w i s e gammas
Brashear's statement that the s l i g h t l y larger letters o f
at PFayum
the verso (0.65 c m vs. 0.47 c m ) m a y stem " f r o m the
s i m i l a r and again e x h i b i t serifs decorating the base o f
4.10 and G e t t y recto l i n e 2 appear v e r y
same h a n d especially i f one compares the letter forms
the vertical strokes. N u s are w e l l f o r m e d , again w i t h
o f tau, epsilon and r h o i n the last lines o f the recto
decorative serifs at the heads and bases o f left vertical
w i t h the same letters o n the verso. U p s i l o n o n b o t h
strokes i n PFayum 4.3 and 11, and G e t t y recto lines 1,
I n c o m p a r i s o n w i t h other hands,
6, and 7. N u s i n the G e t t y verso text possibly e x h i b i t
o f t a u / o m i c r o n at verso lines 6 and 7 (and
the same characteristics as the recto and PFayum 4 b u t
sides is s i m i l a r . "
ligatures
20
19
possibly recto l i n e 7) appear s i m i l a r t o those f o u n d i n
another f i r s t - c e n t u r y - B . c . papyrus, POxy
8.1086.
the rougher texture o f the verso makes certain i d e n t i
fication difficult.
21
Similarly, alphas at G e t t y verso lines 5 and 7 and
L i k e the w e l l - f o r m e d nus, the letter forms for
8.1086, col. I I , lines 75 and 79, f o r m t h e i r left
alpha, delta, and l a m b d a o f b o t h the F a y u m papyrus
POxy
members i n one l o o p e d sequence
22
and suggest the
conclusion that the t w o texts are contemporary.
and the G e t t y recto t e n d t o be aligned along a vertical
axis
W h e n w e consider the G e t t y papyrus fragment
as a w h o l e , the fact that one hand m a y have w r i t t e n
with
PFayum
equilateral
sides.
Compare
deltas
in
4.6 w i t h G e t t y recto lines 3 and 4. C o m p a r e
alphas i n PFayum 4.3 w i t h the G e t t y recto lines 2 and
b o t h the recto and verso has i m p o r t a n t i m p l i c a t i o n s
3. Alphas, p a r t i a l l y m i s s i n g i n the G e t t y verso text,
for o u r d e s c r i p t i o n o f this papyrus fragment. T h e f i r m
however, appear c o m p l e t e l y different: Left
u p r i g h t capitals o f the recto script share certain pa-
are f o r m e d by a n a r r o w l o o p slanting u p w a r d t o the
laeographical features w i t h another firs t - c e n t u r y - B . c .
r i g h t ; the letter as a w h o l e tilts to the left i n stark
papyrus
fragment,
also
of Homer
(II
8.332-336
and 362-369), f r o m the F a y u m i n E g y p t (PFayum
4,
contrast to alphas o f PFayum
members
4 and the G e t t y recto,
w h i c h are aligned along a vertical axis. H o w e v e r , the
see note 1). T h e s i m i l a r i t i e s i n letter forms suggest
rougher texture o f the verso m a y have dictated this
that the same scribe m a y have w r i t t e n each o f these
v a r i a t i o n f r o m the pleasing s y m m e t r i c a l alphas o f the
three texts.
G e t t y recto and PFayum 4.
I n his analysis o f the G e t t y recto,
Brashear
23
Epsila i n the G e t t y recto lines 3 and 7 and
n o t e d " t h e heterogenous letter f o r m s o f tau (line 1)
PFayum
f o r m e d w i t h t w o strokes, one h o r i z o n t a l and one ver
ment. I n all examples a tendency t o w a r d a n g u l a r i t y is
4.3, 4, 6, 7, 9, and 12 receive s i m i l a r treat
tical, and tau (line 7) w i t h one c u r v e d stroke as the left
m o d i f i e d by s m o o t h curves where h o r i z o n t a l m e m
h a l f o f the cross bar and vertical hasta and another
bers meet the vertical shaft. Isolated examples, h o w
h o r i z o n t a l stroke for the r i g h t h a l f o f the cross bar."
ever, i n PFayum
Similarly, PFayum
epsila p o i n t e d o u t as a "remarkable palaeographical
PFayum
4 presents heterogenous
taus. I n
4 (lines 2 and 7) taus are w r i t t e n as i n the
4.10 and 11, are the clearly squared
feature" by Grenfell and H u n t .
2 5
C o m p a r e epsila i n
G e t t y recto (line 7), w i t h one c u r v e d stroke f o r m i n g
the G e t t y recto text lines 1 and 3, w h e r e a tendency
the left p o r t i o n s o f the letter w h i l e a second h o r i z o n t a l
t o w a r d a n g u l a r i t y can be observed.
stroke completes the r i g h t h a l f o f the crossbar. A n
O v e r a l l b o t h fragments, PFayum 4 and the G e t t y
other f o r m o f tau, again s i m i l a r t o taus i n the G e t t y
recto, offer such s t r i k i n g s i m i l a r i t i e s i n t h e i r u p r i g h t ,
recto (line 1), at PFayum 4.3, 6, (possibly 9), and 11 is
w e l l - f o r m e d letters that one is t e m p t e d t o assign the
h a n d o f the same scribe to b o t h texts. I n a d d i t i o n , the
same h a n d m a y also have executed the G e t t y verso
text, g i v e n the s i m i l a r execution o f n u , u p s i l o n , tau,
and rho, as Brashear has already noted.
T h u s w h a t at first glance appeared t o be a rather
u n r e m a r k a b l e fragment o f ancient Greek w r i t i n g has
been s h o w n to have i m p l i c a t i o n s for three separate
disciplines. First, as an h y p o m n e m a o n the rare Greek
adjective ά ά α τ ο ς , o u r l i t t l e fragment represents one o f
the earliest
extant
comments
on a word
that
has
received constant a t t e n t i o n t h r o u g h o u t the scholarly
tradition
r e l a t i n g t o Greek
hypomnema
literature. Second,
this
m a y be assigned t o the same h a n d
another extant fragment o f H o m e r (PFayum
as
4), pre
v i o u s l y published b y G r e n f e l l and H u n t i n a c o l l e c t i o n
o f p a p y r i f r o m the F a y u m (see note 1). Last, the G e t t y
verso presents an o t h e r w i s e unattested variant t o the
text o f this passage i n o u r m o d e r n editions, namely,
α υ τ ό ν for the m o d e r n α υ τ ό ς .
C a l i f o r n i a State U n i v e r s i t y
San Jose
. . . Sit down.
Get on with dinner quietly, or cry about it
outside, if you must. Leave us the bow.
A clean-cut game, it looks to me.
Nobody bends that bowstave easily
in this company. Is there a man here
made like Odysseus? I remember him
from childhood: I can see him even now.
(R. Fitzgerald, Anchor, 1963)
n a s
6. Allen (above, note 5), Odyssey 21.94,
αυτός rather than
αυτόν.
η. Brashear, p. 159.
8. Liddell and Scott, Greek—English Lexicon (Oxford, 1966), s.v.
μιν.
9. A. S. Hunt, ed., Catalogue of the Papyri in the fohn Rylands
Library, vol. 1 (London, 1911), no. 1.53 ( = Pack no. 1106).
10. Τ Renner, Harvard Studies 83 (1979), p. 331, col. i.6.
11. E. G. Turner, Greek Manuscripts of the Ancient World (Oxford,
1971), pp. 98-99·
12. Β. P. Grenfell, A. S. Hunt, et al., eds., The Oxyrhynchus Papyri
(London, 1848-1967).
13. POxy 8.1086, pp. 8off.
14. Homer Iliad 14.271; Odyssey 21.91, 22.5. Apollonius Rhodius
Argonautica 2.77, and the textual variant to 1.803. See
H. Frankel, Apollonii Rhodii Argonautica (Oxford, 1961), the
critical apparatus to i.8oiff.
i7.14.271
Od. 21.91
NOTES
Abbreviations:
Brashear W. Brashear, "Homer in Malibu," Getty Mus] 11 (1983),
pp. 158-160.
Pack
R. A. Pack, The Greek and Latin Literary Texts from
Greco-Roman Egypt, 2nd ed. (Ann Arbor, 1965).
1. Malibu 76.Ai.56. The size of the fragment is 4.4 X 1.9 cm.
Β. P. Grenfell and A. S. Hunt, Fayum Towns and Their Papyri
(London, Egypt Exploration Fund, 1900), no. 4, pi. V
(second—first century B.c.) = Pack no. 830. PFayum 4 has been
identified as portions of Iliad 8.332-336, and in the second
column portions of 362-369, a facsimile of which is
reproduced in plate V. Corrigendum: The text accompanying
the description of no. 4, p. 89, incorrectly lists the facsimile
plate as VI.
2. The recto text was identified by J. Frei (Antiquities in theJ. Paul
Getty Museum, pamphlet 2 [Malibu, 1977]), as Odyssey 10.397403. I would like to thank Dr. Frei for giving me the oppor
tunity to study the fragment and for putting Brashear's article
at my disposal.
3. Brashear, pp. 159-160.
4. Brashear, p. 159,
5. Τ W. Allen, ed., Homert Opera (Oxford, 1958). Book 21: The
Test of the Bow.
Od. 21.89
Od.2ΐ.90
Od.2ΐ.9ΐ
Od.2ΐ.92
Od.2ΐ.93
Od.2ΐ.94
άλλ άκέων δαίνυσθε καθήμενοι, ήέ θύραζε
κλαίεχον έξελθόντε κατ' αυτόθι τόξα λιπόντε
μνηστήρεσσιν άεθλον άάατον · ού γαρ όϊω
ρηϊδίως τόδε τόζον έϋξοον έντανύεσθαι.
ού γάρ τις μέτα τοϊος άνήρ εν τοίσδεσι πασιν
οίος Όδυσσεύς εσκεν εγώ δε μιν αυτός οπωπα
97
Od. 22.5
Ap.Rh.
άγρει νΰν μοι ομοσσον άάατον Στυγός ύδωρ
"Swear it to me on Styx' ineluctable water."
(R. Lattimore, Chicago, 1951)
μνηστήρεσσιν άεθλον άάατον ού γάρ όϊω
"(Leave us the bow.) A clean-cut game, it looks
to me." (R. Fitzgerald, Anchor, 1963)
ούτος μεν δή άεθλος άάατος έκτετέλεσται
"So much for that. Your clean-cut game is
over." (R. Fitzgerald, Anchor, 1963)
2.77 πυγμαχίην ή κάρτος άάατος ή τε χερείω ν
"But there were weak points as well as strong in
his opponent's savage style." (Ε. V. Rieu, Pen
guin, 1959)
Ap.Rh. 1.803 (έν δε ττ\ προεκδόσει) . . . και τότ έπειτ' άνά
δήμον άάατος έμπεσε λύσσα
"And then 'not subject to Ate' Madness fell
upon the people." (Olcott tr.)
15. H. J. M . Milne, ed., Catalogue of the Literary Papyri in the British
Museum (London, 1927), no. 183 (second century A . D . ? ) =
British Museum inv. no. 885 = Pack no. 2291.
16. Lexicographical:
ι. T. Gaisford, ed., Etymologicum Magnum (Amsterdam, 1967),
s.v. αατος (quotes Methodius)
2. Apion, A. Ludwich, ed., Philologus 74 (1918), pp. 205-248,
and 75 (1919), pp. 95-217
3. I . Bekker, ed., Suidae Lexicon (Berlin, 1854)
4. H . Sell, ed., Symeon (Meisenheim, 1968)
5. I . Bekker, ed., Apollonius Sophista, Lexicon (Berlin, 1833)
6. M . Schmidt, rec, Hesychii Alexandrini Lexicon (Jena, 1858)
7. B. Snell, Lexikon des frühgriechischen Epos (Göttingen, 1955)
Scholia:
ι. Η. Erbse, rec, Scholia Graeca in Homert Iliadem (Berlin,
1973), to Iliad 14.271
2. M . van der Valk, ed., Eustathii Commentarii ad Homert
Iliadem Pertinentes (Leiden, 1971), section 985.15
98
Olcott
3- Eustathii Commentarii ad Homert Odysseam (Leipzig, 1825),
sections 618.40, 749.20, and 770.30
4. C. Wendel, rec, Scholia in Apollonium Rhodium Vetera
(Berlin, 1958), to Argonautica 1.459; ·77> 2.232
5. See also Argonautica 1.801-804. See critical apparatus to
Frankel (above, note 14).
2
Modern:
ι. P. Buttmann, Lexilogus oder Beiträge zur griechischen Worterklarung, vol. 1 (Berlin, 1865), pp. 216-220
2. Ε. D. Francis, "Virtue, Folly, and Greek Etymology," in
C. Rubino and C. Shelmerdine, eds., Approaches to Homer
(Austin, 1983), pp. 74-121
3. R. Doyle, "CUI, Its Use and Meaning (New York, 1984)
4. W. Wyatt, "Homeric CUI" AJP 103 (1982), pp. 247-276
5. R. Dawe, "Some Reflections on Ate and Hamartia," HSCP
72 (1964), pp. 89-123
6. A. Moorhouse, " X2CCUQT and Some Other Negative
Compounds," CQ n.s. 11 (1961), pp. 10-17
7. M . Olcott, " Άάατος, Odyssey 22.5: Greek and IndoEuropean Oath," forthcoming in Word
V
17. On derivation of the related noun άτη as:
ι. άημι = "to blast," see Francis (above, note 16), pp. 74—121
2. άτη = "blindness, infatuation," see Doyle (above, note 16)
3. άω = "to sate," see Wyatt (above, note 16) and Moorhouse
(above, note 16)
4. άτη = "ruin," see Dawe (above, note 16)
18. It is tempting to conclude that the recto lower margin is the
bottom margin of the roll. However, broad bands appear to
interrupt Homeric texts usually at the end or beginning of a
book. See the so-called Harris Homer (British Museum Papyri
126 = Pack no. 634 [later third century A . D . ] ) in Turner
(above, note 11), pl. 14. But POxy 2535, pl. IV (late first
century A . D . ) , uses a broad band to precede an hypomnema to
an historical epigram. In POxy 2536 (second century A . D . ) the
band interrupts the lemma (1.26) of an hypomnema by Theon
to Pindar, Pythian Odes (Turner [note 11], pl. 61).
19. Brashear, p. 159, "The larger letters (0.65 cm) of the verso side
appear at first glance to be different from the ones of the recto
side. Yet the case can be made for their stemming from the
same hand, especially i f one compares the letter forms of tau,
epsilon and rho in the last line of the recto with the same
letters on the verso."
20. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Susan
Stephens of Stanford University for confirming this fact and
for her help and advice in the preparation of this article.
21. POxy 8.1086 = Pack no. 1173, reproduced in Turner (above,
note 11), pp. 98-99, pl. 58.
22. Turner (above, note 11), p. 98, on pl. 58 (POxy 8.1086), "Alpha
is often large and pointed; its first movements in one looped
sequence."
23. Brashear, p. 159.
24. Ibid.
25. Grenfell and Hunt (above, note 1), p. 89.
99
A Silver Triton Handle i n the Getty Museum
BERYL
BARR-SHARRAR
A large silver handle i n the shape o f a fish-tailed T r i
elaborate handle was attached was u n d o u b t e d l y also
t o n recently acquired by the G e t t y M u s e u m is a w e l
made o f silver, c o m p l e t e l y or p a r t i a l l y gilded. T h e
come a d d i t i o n to the small g r o u p o f decorative objects
entire assemblage was conceived and produced as a
i n precious metal that has s u r v i v e d f r o m the H e l l e n i s
u n i q u e i t e m for l u x u r y use by w e a l t h y individuals.
tic p e r i o d (figs, i a - f ) . Its shape and size—24 c m i n
T h e cast silver p r o t o m e (fig. i d ) has a h o l l o w
l e n g t h f r o m the t o p o f the T r i t o n s head t o the t i p o f
torso and solid-cast head and arms. I t w o u l d have
his arched and f l i p p i n g tail (figs, ia-c)—suggest the
been placed and affixed j u s t over the r i m o f the vessel
handle was designed to f i t o n t o the c u r v i n g b o d y o f a
for w h i c h i t served as handle, facing i n w a r d . T h e m u s
container for l i q u i d . T h i s container c o u l d have been
cular torso o f the T r i t o n , w h i c h broadens s l i g h t l y at
any o f several shapes: a tall oinochoe or pitcher, w h i c h
its base j u s t b e l o w the waist, emerges f r o m a double
seems most likely, i n w h i c h case the G e t t y T r i t o n
calyx o f acanthus leaves, a r i n g o f smaller leaves l y i n g
wide-
closest to the torso, a second r i n g o f larger leaves p r o
m o u t h e d vessel f r o m w h i c h l i q u i d was ladled rather
j e c t i n g o u t below. A t the Triton's back (fig. i e ) , the
w o u l d have been the o n l y handle; or some
than poured, i n w h i c h case o u r handle w o u l d have
leaves o f the calyx are s l i g h t l y raised to conceal the
been one o f t w o . T h e sea m o t i f c o u l d conceivably
j o i n o f his torso t o the separately fashioned fish tail,
indicate that this putative vessel was used for water
w h i c h arches u p s l i g h t l y to f o r m a graspable handle
rather than w i n e , w h i c h w o u l d i m p l y a pitcher, b u t
before descending i n a graceful S-curve (fig. i b ) . T h e
there are apotropaic aspects to the i c o n o g r a p h y o f
tail was made i n t w o parts: 1) a h o l l o w tube, made
the handle that suggest i t was associated w i t h w i n e .
f r o m a single sheet o f silver, cast and t h e n rolled, a
W h i l e the vessel c o u l d have served to p o u r the water
" l a p " seam h o l d i n g i t together o n the underside, and
added t o w i n e at symposia, the private d r i n k i n g par
2) the flipper at the end o f the tail (fig. i f ) , w h i c h is
1
ties t r a d i t i o n a l to Greek-speaking households and ap
solid cast and fits w i t h a t e n o n i n t o the tail tube. T h e
propriate occasions for use o f elaborate silverware, i t is
tail w o u l d have m e t the side o f the vessel b o d y and
m o r e l i k e l y that i t was used for w i n e , and perhaps i n
been affixed t o i t at the p o i n t j u s t above the
an area w h i c h , w h i l e influenced by H e l l e n i s t i c Greek
elegant t w i s t to the side, a j o i n that w o u l d presumably
flipper's
life, may have been geographically somewhat r e m o v e d
have allowed use o f the handle. Seen i n profile, this
f r o m its traditions. There is n o k n o w n provenance for
m o v e m e n t o f the tail suggests the p r o p u l s i o n o f the
the handle.
T r i t o n i n t o his u p r i g h t p o s i t i o n (figs, i a , b ) . T h e
T h e handle was once even m o r e s t r i k i n g than i t
flip
per i t s e l f is an elaborate fan-shaped fin. Several large
appears today, as m u c h o f its surface was o r i g i n a l l y
"scales" suggestive o f the acanthus leaves i n the calyx
g i l d e d . Traces o f g o l d leaf, applied, burnished, and
descend o n t o i t f r o m the c u r v i n g spine and d i v i d e the
possibly heated to fuse i t to the silver surface, r e m a i n
fin i n t o t w o halves made up o f feathery elements o f
o n the T r i t o n s beard and hair, o n the calyx
from
unequal lengths, longer at the outer edges. T h e u n d e r
w h i c h his torso springs, and o n his tail. O n l y the
side o f this fin is n o t finished, for i t w o u l d n o t have
torso, arms, and face o f the sea creature were left
been seen. T h e tail i t s e l f is covered w i t h
u n g i l d e d , the cool gray color o f the silver and its v a r i
small scales w i t h a spine o f short fins r u n n i n g d o w n
ety o f reflections suggesting the T r i t o n s
"sea-hued"
the back (figs, i b , e). These l i t t l e fins reduce s l i g h t l y i n
1.333). T h e vessel t o w h i c h this
size as the tail narrows t o w a r d the end; their alternating
flesh
( O v i d , Met,
multiple
100 Barr-Sharrar
FIGURE
ia
Silver vessel handle in the shape of a Triton. Left side. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum 85. A M . 163.
Λ Silver Triton Handle
FIGURE
lb
Back of Triton handle, figure ia.
ιοί
102 Barr-Sharrar
FIGURE IC
Front of Triton handle, figure ia.
A Silver Triton Handle
F I G U R E
id
Front of Triton on handle, figure ia.
F I G U R E
103
ie
Back of Triton on handle, figure ia.
directions at the h e i g h t o f the tail's arch, and their
d i v i s i o n i n t o i r r e g u l a r groups as the spine descends,
masterfully suggest the fins are r i p p l i n g as i f respond
i n g to some action u p o n t h e m l i k e the flow and drift
o f water. T h e underside o f the tail is s m o o t h w i t h
lateral divisions, l i k e a snake's (figs, i a , c).
Besides
the appropriately decorative aspect o f
this sea creature as a handle o n a container for l i q u i d ,
the Triton's p r e s e n c e — w i t h his torso, head, and ges
t u r i n g arms p o s i t i o n e d over the open m o u t h o f the
vessel, above its contents—was surely to some extent
apotropaic.
The
fierce
expression
on
the
heavy-
featured, bearded face suggests this, as does his ges
ture. H i s r i g h t a r m reaches out, the h a n d open w i t h
p a l m d o w n i n w a r n i n g , as i f g u a r d i n g the
liquid
b e l o w f r o m c o n t a m i n a t i o n . H i s left a r m is bent at the
e l b o w and o n l y p a r t i a l l y extended
with
the
hand
closed. I n this hand, the T r i t o n o r i g i n a l l y h e l d an
F I G U R E
if
Flipper of tail on Triton handle, figure ia.
object. G i v e n his protective posture, i t was probably a
trident, b u t a h o l l o w , spiral conch shell, an i n s t r u m e n t
t r a d i t i o n a l t o the p r o t o t y p i c a l T r i t o n w h o b l e w l o u d
r e s o u n d i n g notes to c a l m the floods after the creation
o f the w o r l d ( O v i d , Met. 1.329-347), w o u l d have been
an equally appropriate attribute.
T h e creature's d e m o n i c nature is expressed b o t h
i n his stern and threatening demeanor and b y certain
animalistic traits i n the h u m a n - l o o k i n g head (fig. i d ) .
His
large eyes, w i t h irises and pupils indicated, are
open u n n a t u r a l l y w i d e under the heavy and somewhat
104 Barr-Sharrar
F I G U R E
2b
Detail of front of Centaur protome, figure 2a.
p r o t r u d i n g , vertically striated b r o w s that meet at the
b r i d g e o f his nose. H i s features are crude and exagger
F I G U R E
2a
Silver protome in the shape of a Centaur, from a rhyton. Vienna,
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Antikensammlung. Photos courtesy
Kunsthistorisches Museum.
ated i n size; his beard is unusually heavy, locks d i v i d
i n g i n the m i d d l e o f the c h i n and covering his neck
completely
H i s mustache
is d i v i d e d i n t o t w o f i n -
shaped segments that start j u s t b e l o w the outer edge
o f each flaring n o s t r i l and sweep back and d o w n to
j o i n the t h i c k beard. H i s ears, once g i l d e d , are those o f
a horse: large, p o i n t e d , and covered w i t h hair ( i n d i
cated b y deep h o r i z o n t a l grooves). T h e boney fore
head is creased w i t h a single deep line, and the t h i c k l i p p e d m o u t h is open as i f speaking. T h e o r i g i n a l l y
g i l d e d hair o n his head is h e l d together as a heavy
mass, d i v i d i n g over his forehead i n t o t w o irregular
locks. C u r l i n g locks fall l o w o n his neck i n back and,
o n the c r o w n o f his somewhat flat s k u l l , there is a
f o u r - p o i n t star pattern (fig. i e ) .
L i k e the animalistic traits o f the
small-faced,
hollow-cast silver Centaur p r o t o m e i n Vienna, o r i g
2
i n a l l y the forepart o f a r h y t o n (figs. 2a, b ) , a toreutic
w o r k directly dependent i n style o n the giants i n the
Gigantomachie o f the Pergamon A l t a r , the G e t t y T r i
tons animalistic traits are expressed b y indications o f
special strength, energy, and m o v e m e n t , as w e l l as b y
A Silver Triton Handle
105
FIGURE 3
Silver medallion from a phiale with the mask of a satyr. Berlin,
Staatliche Museen Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Antikenabteilung,
Charlottenburg. Photo courtesy Staatliche Museen Preußischer
Kulturbesitz.
the exaggeration o f features and expression. W h i l e the
strength b u t toughness (as opposed t o delicacy) i n the
T r i t o n s torso and face do n o t express the sublime
m o d e l i n g o f head, torso, and arms o f the G e t t y T r i
a n i m a l restlessness o f the silver Centaur, and w h i l e he
t o n , w i t h areas o f awkwardness i n the hands, where
lacks that creatures extraordinary pathos, he is related
nails are indicated b u t the fingers are n o t clearly artic
t o h i m i n general conception. H i s d e m o n i c energy is
ulated, as w e l l as the eccentricity i n the shape o f the
revealed i n the taut, muscular torso and his a u t h o r i t a
head,
tive gesture, as w e l l as the subtle m o v e m e n t o f the
sculpture at some distance f r o m the H i g h H e l l e n i s t i c
spine fins and the l i v e l y flip o f his tail.
i n s p i r a t i o n that i n f o r m s i t . I n contrast t o the h u m a n
T h e s m o o t h i n g o u t o f H i g h H e l l e n i s t i c pathos
further suggest the provenance
o f this s m a l l
parts o f the T r i t o n , the l o n g fish tail is executed w i t h
i n the G e t t y T r i t o n , however, and its t o u g h , crude,
great s k i l l and s e n s i t i v i t y t o detail. T h i s d i c h o t o m y
somewhat
recalls the mastery evident i n the toreutic art o f some
dry
style—the
differentiation o f forms
dependent m o r e o n line than o n modeling—suggest
ancient peoples such as the Scythians and, t o some
an execution r e m o v e d b o t h geographically and i n t i m e
extent, the Thracians, i n t h e i r superior d e p i c t i o n o f
f r o m that o f the V i e n n a Centaur and other w o r k s
animals i n contrast t o their relative d i f f i c u l t y
close i n b o t h c o n c e p t i o n and h i s t o r y t o the creation o f
human physiognomy.
3
the Pergamon A l t a r frieze. T h e face o f the G e t t y T r i
with
A considerable a m o u n t o f H e l l e n i s t i c silver dis
t o n m a y be compared t o the silver mask o f a satyr
covered
f o u n d i n M i l e t o p o l i s , near Pergamon, n o w i n the A n t i
i n c l u d i n g the silver Centaur p r o t o m e (figs. 2a, b ) , is
k e n a b t e i l u n g i n C h a r l o t t e n b u r g i n B e r l i n (fig. 3 ) ,
4
whose p h y s i o g n o m y suggests the giants o n the Per
i n Italy
early i n the
nineteenth
century,
believed to have been p r o d u c e d i n Pergamon
and,
after A t t a l o s I I I bequeathed the k i n g d o m o f Pergamon
g a m o n frieze. T h e structure o f the T r i t o n s face and the
to R o m e i n 133 B . C . , to have been taken by
shapes o f his large features are s i m i l a r t o the satyr's i n
Romans to Italy, w h e r e i t was n o d o u b t w i d e l y c o p
general o u t l i n e only. H i s stylistic dependence o n p r o
ied. W h i l e Pergamene silver i t s e l f m a y n o t have f o u n d
totypes
its w a y t o the farthest-flung areas o f the e x p a n d i n g
l i k e this mask
is probable,
however.
The
the
106 Barr-Sharrar
R o m a n E m p i r e at this t i m e , i t is l i k e l y that the Pergamene style was w e l l k n o w n b y then, or s h o r t l y
afterward, i n centers i n M a g n a Graecia, as w e l l as i n
the R o m a n protectorates along the A d r i a t i c and i n l a n d
f r o m i t . I f the G e t t y silver T r i t o n handle is a copy or
adaptation o f a p r o t o t y p e made i n Pergamon
t i m e after the erection o f the Great A l t a r
5
some
and—given
its r e m o v a l f r o m the Pergamene s t y l e — p r o b a b l y after
133 B . C . and at some distance f r o m the o r i g i n o f the
p r o t o t y p e — w e m i g h t l o o k t o M a g n a Graecia for the
o r i g i n o f the handle, or even to somewhat m o r e remote
H e l l e n i c areas, such as M a c e d o n i a or I l l y r i a ,
had been
under
which
R o m a n p r o t e c t i o n since 148 B . C .
U n d o u b t e d l y m a n y H e l l e n i s t i c toreutic centers—some,
l i k e T a r e n t u m , k n o w n t o us, others n o t — w e r e capable
o f p r o d u c i n g a silver vessel w i t h a handle o f the stylis
tic heritage and s t r e n g t h o f design o f the G e t t y T r i t o n .
I t is perhaps easier t o suggest a tentative date for the
T r i t o n , 100-50 B . C . , than a w o r k s h o p o r i g i n .
N e w York City
NOTES
ι. I am grateful to Jerry Podany of the Department of Antiquities
Conservation of the J. Paul Getty Museum, who examined the
Triton, for his answers to my questions concerning techniques
of execution.
2. Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Antikensammlung.
Κ. Gschwantler, Guß und Form: Bronzen aus der Antikensamm
lung (Vienna, 1986), no. 35, color pl. 2, figs. 76-77, pp. 42-43
with bibl. Found in the Civitä Castellana. I am grateful to
Kurt Gschwantler for the photographs.
3. Traditionally dated 180-160 B . C . Recent attempts to lower the
date of the Pergamon Altar are so far inconclusive. See
W. Hoepfner, "Zu den großen Altären von Magnesia und
Pergamon," AA, Beiheft 4, 1989, pp. 633-634. For the most
recent summary of the archaeological arguments for a date of
166—159 B . C . , see T.-M. Schmidt, "Der späte Beginn und der
vorzeitige Abbruch der Arbeiten am Pergamonaltar," in
B. Andreae, Phyromachos-Probleme (Mainz, 1990), pp. 141—146.
4. Η. Winnefeld, Hellenistische Silberreliefs,
68. Berliner
Winckelmann-Programm, 1908, pp. i f f , pl. 1.
5. See above, note 3.
107
A Group o f Late Antique Jewelry
in the Getty Museum
BARBARA DEPPERT-LIPPITZ
L i t t l e is k n o w n about the j e w e l r y o f the Late R o m a n
small g r o u p o f supposedly datable w o r k s . T h e G e t t y
to E a r l y B y z a n t i n e p e r i o d . A l t h o u g h precious o r n a
h o a r d belongs a m o n g the w e l l - k n o w n treasures f r o m
ments m u s t have played an i m p o r t a n t role i n the c o n
the H i l l o f Saint L o u i s i n Carthage and f r o m Tenes i n
2
3
spicuous display o f w e a l t h and l u x u r i o u s life-style that
A l g e r i a , b o t h n o w generally agreed t o b e l o n g t o the
were an i m p o r t a n t aspect o f Late R o m a n life, rela
p e r i o d a r o u n d A . D . 400, and the one f r o m T h e t f o r d ,
t i v e l y l i t t l e g o l d j e w e l r y f r o m the p e r i o d has
dated t o the late f o u r t h c e n t u r y A . D . A l l these hoards
been
4
C o i n e d g o l d and jewels were g i v e n as
are dated o n a p u r e l y stylistic basis, w i t h n o external
i m p e r i a l gifts t o loyal retainers and to the heads o f
evidence. I n contrast, the G e t t y h o a r d includes a series
barbarian tribes c o n t r o l l i n g the borders. G o l d j e w e l r y
o f t w e n t y - t h r e e coins covering the p e r i o d f r o m C o n -
was a s y m b o l o f the private w e a l t h and social p o s i t i o n
stans I (337-350) t o Theodosius I (379-395), w h i c h
o f its owner. H o w e v e r , m o s t o f the g o l d apparently
p r o v i d e valuable c o n f i r m a t i o n o f the stylistic date o f
was m e l t e d d o w n and reused, the precious gems and
the hoard.
preserved.
pearls reset. T h e m a j o r i t y o f Late R o m a n and E a r l y
T h e relationship between the present treasure
B y z a n t i n e j e w e l r y that w e do have has n o k n o w n
and the other i m p o r t a n t hoards
provenance and is undated. O u r k n o w l e d g e o f j e w e l r y
below. I t should, however, be added here that they all
w i l l be
discussed
o f the p e r i o d is based m a i n l y o n a few larger hoards
differ considerably i n style as w e l l as i n types. O n e o f
w i t h recorded f i n d spots b u t w i t h o u t any external e v i
the characteristics o f the present treasure is that i t
dence for d a t i n g . I t is therefore fortunate that i n 1983
comprises some articles i n pristine c o n d i t i o n a l o n g
the G e t t y M u s e u m was able t o acquire a g r o u p o f
1
fifteen pieces o f j e w e l r y b u r i e d a r o u n d A . D . 400. A s
side others that s h o w signs o f extensive wear. Such a
j u x t a p o s i t i o n o f n e w l y made and already w o r n items
all pieces had a s i m i l a r patina, i t need n o t be d o u b t e d
can be explained b y the fact that a g r o u p o f precious
that the g r o u p was, indeed, f o u n d together. T h e y are
objects was n o t necessarily acquired all at once.
all i n v e r y g o o d c o n d i t i o n , except for m i s s i n g pearls
Some o f the pieces s h o w the influence o f barbar
o n some items. N o t h i n g is k n o w n about the previous
ian j e w e l r y , b u t m o s t o f t h e m reflect t h e i r R o m a n
h i s t o r y o f this hoard, b u t n o treasure c o r r e s p o n d i n g t o
heritage. T h i s is n o t s u r p r i s i n g i n a h o a r d accumulated
the present one is recorded as h a v i n g been excavated
d u r i n g a p e r i o d o f dramatic p o l i t i c a l changes and
anywhere d u r i n g this c e n t u r y Th e r e are,
however,
certain indications that the h o a r d m u s t have
fluc
tuations. To a certain extent i t m i g h t illustrate the
come
i n f i l t r a t i o n o f the Classical w o r l d b y w h a t is called the
L i k e silver plate, the d o c u m e n t a r y i m p o r t a n c e
the h o a r d is that i t was b u r i e d at a p e r i o d w h e n the
f r o m the eastern part o f the R o m a n E m p i r e .
o f j e w e l r y transcends its aesthetic value. A
" m i g r a t i o n o f nations." A n o t h e r i m p o r t a n t aspect o f
precise
u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f the place j e w e l r y holds i n the h i s
t o r y o f m e t a l w o r k and o f its relationship t o other
w o r k s depends u p o n its proper dating. T h e
diffi
C h r i s t i a n culture was f i r m l y established, yet, none o f
the objects is influenced b y i t .
For convenience o f presentation, the material is
grouped
typologically.
Necklaces
are
followed
by
culties that attend the d a t i n g o f Late R o m a n j e w e l r y
bracelets, finger rings, and the p r o b a b l y m o s t i m p o r
and its arrangement
tant object o f the hoard, a belt.
i n anything like a convincing
chronological sequence are i n part m i t i g a t e d b y a
108 Deppert-Lippitz
FIGURE
ia
Necklace with circular pendant. Front. Malibu, J. Paul Getty M u
seum 83. A M . 225.1.
I.
NECKLACE W I T H CIRCULAR MEDALLION
PENDANT
(figs, i a - c )
s t r i p - c u t w i r e , s h o w i n g the "seam" lines t y p i c a l for
L : 42.4 c m ; pendant 6.3
X 5.4 c m ; pendant chain
L : 4 c m ; W t : 112.46 g
L i t : GettyMusJ
p a r t i c u l a r l y fine quality. T h e single l i n k s are made o f
12 (1984), p. 257, no. 143.2
83.AM.225.1
A r o p e l i k e m u l t i p l e l o o p - i n - l o o p chain t e r m i
ancient w i r e , made before the i n v e n t i o n o f the d r a w
5
plate. I n contrast, the filigree ornaments are made o f
square-section
wire.
Cufflike
terminals are
charac
teristic o f R o m a n and E a r l y B y z a n t i n e chains. T h e
final l i n k s o f such a chain are inserted i n t o the c y l i n
nates i n cylinders made o f r i b b e d g o l d , w i t h an a d d i
der and fixed b y a rivet. Particularly s i m i l a r are the
t i o n a l decoration o f beaded w i r e . Each c y l i n d e r is
necklaces f r o m the
l i n k e d t o an o r n a m e n t a l disc w i t h filigree decoration.
Trivolzio
6
fifth-century
and Reggio E m i l i a .
C-scrolls
occur
O p e n w o r k circlets
O n e disc is fitted w i t h a hoop, the other w i t h an eye,
with
b o t h braced w i t h clusters o f g o l d granules at the j o i n t
c e n t u r y necklaces.
8
and an outer border o f beaded w i r e . T h e filigree deco
filigree-decorated
clasp o f a necklace f r o m a grave i n
r a t i o n consists o f a central m o t i f o f four C-volutes
Steeg at the Hallstätter Lake i n A u s t r i a . Later e x a m
arranged i n pairs and b o u n d b y a circle and an outer
ples are f o u n d o n necklaces f r o m C o n s t a n t i n o p l e and
border w i t h s i m i l a r volutes.
Syria or E g y p t .
M u l t i p l e l o o p - i n - l o o p chains have a l o n g h i s t o r y
addorsed
A . D . treasures f r o m
7
already
on
third-
A f o u r t h - c e n t u r y example is the
9
1 0
A s i m i l a r l y decorated disc f r o m a
grave i n Visnjica i n Yugoslavia is dated t o the s i x t h or
1 1
i n ancient j e w e l r y , and i t is h a r d l y possible to date
early seventh c e n t u r y A . D .
Pendant and chain, s h o w
t h e m o n stylistic grounds. I n c o m p a r i s o n t o m a n y
i n g a remarkable difference i n quality, were o b v i o u s l y
other examples o f the R o m a n p e r i o d , this chain is o f
not created as a u n i t , b u t they were j o i n e d already i n
A Group of Late Antique Jewelry
FIGURE
lb
F I G U R E
109
I C
Front of pendant, figure ia.
Back of pendant, figure ia.
antiquity. F u r t h e r m o r e , the pendant doubtlessly has
details are rendered i n repousse. T h e pupils, however,
been altered at least once, i n d i c a t i n g an earlier history.
are d r i l l e d holes, s i m i l a r t o those o f Late R o m a n and
T h e m e d a l l i o n and the inner frame together w i t h the
E a r l y B y z a n t i n e i v o r y diptychs. T h e w o m a n is dressed
loop
i n a t u n i c and cloak. H e r w a v y hair, parted i n the
represent
the
original
pendant.
The
outer
f r a m e — w i t h a r o w o f rather p r i m i t i v e b o x settings—
m i d d l e , covers her ears b u t n o t her circular earrings
the three chain pendants,
with
and the t w o strong rings
attached t o either side are a later a d d i t i o n . T h e rings
large pendants.
T h e hairstyle recalls that o f
female busts o n marriage rings i n D u m b a r t o n Oaks
o r i g i n a l l y fitted m a t c h i n g elements o n a chain, p r o v
and i n the B r i t i s h M u s e u m , dated to the late f o u r t h or
i n g that this pendant c o u l d also be w o r n as a central
early f i f t h c e n t u r y A . D .
element o f a necklace.
12
T h e circular b o x settings o n
1 3
A pearl necklace a r o u n d her
neck holds a circular pendant n o t u n l i k e this piece.
the outer frame c o n t a i n garnets and green and blue
M o s t distinctive is the rather unusual diadem, consist
glass. T h r e e pendant chains were o r i g i n a l l y attached
i n g o f a r o w o f circular elements, apparently cabo-
to the outer frame. T h e o n l y one r e m a i n i n g , w h i c h
chons set i n flat frames.
holds an emerald and terminates i n a decorative scroll
The
ornament, is o f a h i g h e r q u a l i t y than the frame. I t m a y
character.
have belonged t o a different piece o f j e w e l r y before
the hierarchical image suggest an empress or at least a
b e i n g attached t o this pendant.
m e m b e r o f the i m p e r i a l f a m i l y .
T h e G e t t y m e d a l l i o n represents the en face bust
representation
is essentially
imperial
in
T h e c r o w n i n g victories, the diadem, and
14
U n f o r t u n a t e l y , the
paucity o f reliable portraits o f empresses o f the f o u r t h
o f a w o m a n o f mature years, flanked o n each side b y a
and fifth centuries makes an i d e n t i f i c a t i o n difficult. I n
v i c t o r y o n a globe c r o w n i n g her w i t h a w r e a t h . A l l
general, portraits o f the Late R o m a n p e r i o d are so
110 Deppert-Lippitz
stylized that different personalities
have been
sug
gested for the same m o n u m e n t a l sculpture. C o i n p o r
traits are l i k e w i s e o f n o great help, for the h i g h l y
stylized coinage o f the f o u r t h and f i f t h centuries A . D .
h a r d l y allows any personal traits. Particularly i n the
fifth century, the i m p e r i a l image has lost m o s t o f its
individuality.
However,
diadem,
F I G U R E
2
Solidus of Aelia Flacilla. Mint of Constantinople,
A . D . 383. London, British Museum 1867-1-1-945,
Due de Blacas gift. Photo courtesy Trustees of the
British Museum. Reproduced 2:1.
a small but
significant detail,
the
offers valuable i n f o r m a t i o n . A c c o r d i n g t o
numismatic
evidence,
s i m i l a r diadems
have
been
w o r n o n l y by the empresses A e l i a Flacilla, w i f e o f
Theodosius I , whose coinage c o m m e n c e d i n A . D . 383
and w h o died i n 386, and b y her
daughter-in-law
E u d o x i a , w i f e o f Arcadius ( A . D . 3 8 3 - 4 0 8 ) .
15
T h i s nar
r o w s the c h r o n o l o g i c a l range o f the m e d a l l i o n p e n
dant t o the last t w o decades o f the f o u r t h c e n t u r y A . D .
T h e differences between the c o i n portraits o f Flacilla
and o f E u d o x i a are m a r g i n a l . H o w e v e r , the oval face
with
short straight nose, small m o u t h w i t h
thick
lips, and energetic c h i n seems to be closer t o the p o r
trait o n certain issues o f Flacilla t h a n t o that
E u d o x i a (fig. 2 ) .
of
1 6
T h e earliest examples o f circular R o m a n
pen
dants w i t h the frontal representation o f a female bust
are j e t pendants f o u n d i n t h i r d - c e n t u r y graves i n
Cologne.
17
T h e y represent private portraits and are o f
rather simple quality, p r o v i n g , however, that this was
a c o m m o n subject already at a relatively early date.
O u t s t a n d i n g w o r k m a n s h i p is s h o w n o n a g o l d b r o o c h
f r o m the Tenes h o a r d w i t h the r e l i e f o f a female bust
en face, s u r r o u n d e d b y an o r n a m e n t a l frame w i t h the
classical egg-and-dart
m o t i f (fig. 3). T h e representa
t i o n has been i n t e r p r e t e d as a p o r t r a i t o f the empress
Galla P l a c i d i a .
18
T h e t y p e and style o f this piece c o u l d
h a r d l y be m o r e different f r o m the representation
on
the G e t t y pendant. Its subtle posture, softly w a v i n g
F I G U R E
3
Brooch from Tenes (from J. Heurgon, Le Tresor de
Jenes, pi. I). Reproduced 1:1.
hair, and natural appearance betray the classicizing
tendencies developed i n R o m e t o w a r d the end o f the
fourth
century,
representation
whereas the lifeless and
on
the
Getty
pendant
schematic
foreshadows
B y z a n t i n e principles. T h i s difference does n o t neces
sarily exclude the p o s s i b i l i t y that b o t h pieces have
been created about the same t i m e . V i s u a l art was never
homogenous
and p a r t i c u l a r l y n o t d u r i n g the
Late
R o m a n p e r i o d . Stylistically, the c h i e f characteristics o f
the female bust o n the G e t t y pendant are the s i m
plified n o t a t i o n o f facial detail, the staring eyes, and
the r e l a t i o n o f the f u l l neck and large head t o the i l l coordinated torso. A s o n the Tenes p o r t r a i t , the neck
emerges f r o m constricted, d r o o p i n g shoulders. These
can
be
observed
on
fourth-century
c o i n portraits
in
as w e l l as o n other w o r k s o f art. Characteristic ex
at the v e r y b e g i n n i n g o f the f i f t h c e n t u r y i n U n t e r -
amples are the chalcedony bust o f Julian Apostata i n
siebenbrunn i n A u s t r i a .
the H e r m i t a g e
Louvre.
2 0
19
and the R o t h s c h i l d cameo i n the
T h e contrast between the s h r u n k e n chest
2 4
H e r e the h o o k is masked
w i t h a v e r y stylized leaf-shaped b o x setting i n l a i d i n
cloisonne technique w i t h f o u r garnets.
25
and the b r o a d planes o f the head w i t h its dilated eyes
T h e chain is c o m b i n e d w i t h an oval pendant
was apparently used for the general scheme o f trans
h e l d b y t w o coarse r i b b e d suspension loops. T h e i r
f o r m i n g an i n d i v i d u a l p o r t r a i t i n t o an abstract h i e r
p u z z l i n g aspect can o n l y be explained b y the fact that
archical
image,
thus
evoking
the
impression
of
they are a later a d d i t i o n , attached to w h a t was o r i g
i n a l l y a b r o o c h , b y a craftsman w h o was n o t trained i n
i m p e r i a l power.
A further parallel t o the G e t t y pendant is an
fine g o l d w o r k (figs. 4b, c). T h e catchplate and parts o f
Early Byzantine ornament i n Baltimore w i t h a sum
a h i n g e can s t i l l be seen o n the back o f the b r o o c h .
m a r y representation o f an en face female bust
T h e front shows a large cameo m o u n t e d i n p l a i n g o l d
with
drop-shaped earrings, a beaded necklace, and the t u r reted c r o w n o f a T y c h e .
21
I t seems that the standard
with
a p r o n o u n c e d ridge, s u r r o u n d e d
by a broad
frame o f o p e n w o r k decoration and oval b o x settings
26
f o r m u l a for representing an empress was used here for
i n l a i d w i t h keeled garnets.
the personification o f the Tyche o f Constantinople. A
have been folded over this o p e n w o r k frame and are
T h e suspension
loops
further parallel is seen i n the clasps o f a f i f t h - c e n t u r y
held b y w i r e s stuck t h r o u g h openings i n the decora
necklace f r o m the so-called O l b i a treasure i n D u m b a r
t i o n ; t h e i r ends are flattened o n the front and coiled o n
t o n Oaks, each decorated w i t h the frontal representa
the back. T h r e e loops attached t o the outer frame may
tion
have been part o f the o r i g i n a l b r o o c h ; o n l y one o f
o f the bust
necklace.
o f a woman with
earrings
and
t h e m is c o m p l e t e l y preserved.
22
T w o punched
holes
near the outer border seem to be later additions.
2.
N E C K L A C E W I T H C A M E O P E N D A N T (flgS.
T h e four oval b o x settings d i v i d e the frame i n t o
4a-c)
L : 55.5 c m ; pendant 4.2 X 3.8, resp. 4.4 c m ; W t :
four zones decorated w i t h different patterns. T w o fac
61-95 g
L i t . : GettyMus]
i n g zones s h o w identical double cables, the t h i r d zone
has lozenges interspersed w i t h t i n y rosettes and heart-
12 (1984), p. 257, no. 143.3
shaped leaves, and the last one has a zigzag scroll c i r
83.AM.225.2
A r o p e l i k e m u l t i p l e l o o p - i n - l o o p chain t e r m i
nates i n r i b b e d c y l i n d r i c a l tubes.
O n e tube has
a
c u m s c r i b i n g stylized sprouts. T h e lacelike effect o f
openwork
decoration,
the
Roman
opus
interrasile,
beaded w i r e decoration at b o t h ends, the other o n l y at
enjoyed u n r i v a l e d p o p u l a r i t y d u r i n g the t h i r d
the top. Each tube holds a r i n g , one o f t h e m serving as
f o u r t h centuries A . D .
2 7
and
T h e design was laid o u t w i t h a
a loop, the other l i n k e d t o a large h o o k , w h i c h is
series o f d r i l l e d or p u n c h e d h o l e s — s t i l l visible o n the
p a r t l y masked b y a leaf-shaped plate o f g o l d . Rivets
back o f the frame o f this pendant (fig. 4c)—and t h e n
w i t h beaded heads h o l d chain and tubes
opened o u t o n the f r o n t by means o f a small c h i s e l .
together.
A l t h o u g h basically o f the same type as the chain o f the
28
A p p a r e n t l y a n u m b e r o f w o r k s h o p s i n all parts o f the
first necklace, this chain was created b y a less able
R o m a n E m p i r e specialized i n this technique, b o r r o w
g o l d s m i t h . Its m o s t characteristic feature,
the leaf-
i n g freely f r o m each other the same m o t i f s , b u t some
shaped g o l d plate, is n o t unusual for R o m a n chains,
times differing considerably i n quality. A l t h o u g h n o
b u t t h e i r finials usually have a s y m m e t r i c a l decora
direct parallel is k n o w n for the o p e n w o r k o f the G e t t y
t i o n , for instance, a leaf-shaped o r n a m e n t o n the h o o k
pendant, the cable border, lozenge, and zigzag scrolls
and o n the eye. T h e closest parallel t o this chain has
are quite typical for o p e n w o r k j e w e l r y .
2 9
been f o u n d i n the grave o f a w e a l t h y lady o f G e r m a n i c
T h e decorative frame and the cameo o f this
23
p e n d a n t - b r o o c h seem t o be contemporary. T h e repre
o r i g i n i n N a s o b u r k y (Assmeritz) i n C z e c h o s l o v a k i a .
T h e v e r y s i m i l a r necklace consists o f a m u l t i p l e chain,
sentation o f facing portraits is rare b u t n o t u n k n o w n
r i b b e d c y l i n d e r terminals framed b y beaded w i r e , and
i n the h i s t o r y o f R o m a n glyptics. Particularly b r i l l i a n t
a leaf-shaped g o l d plate m a s k i n g the h o o k . A l t h o u g h
examples are a large cameo i n V i e n n a w i t h Claudius
the leaf is m o r e delicate, w i t h a carefully executed
and the y o u n g e r A g r i p p i n a o n the left
repousse decoration, b o t h necklaces o b v i o u s l y repre
manicus w i t h A g r i p p i n a M a j o r o n the r i g h t
and
3 0
Gerand a
Also
cameo i n the Cabinet des Medailles i n Paris w i t h Sep-
closely related is an impressive necklace f r o m the par
t i m i u s Severus and his w i f e Julia D o m n a o n the left
t i c u l a r l y r i c h grave o f another G e r m a n i c lady, b u r i e d
facing t h e i r sons Caracalla and G e t a .
sent variations o f the same B y z a n t i n e type.
31
I n the late
112 Deppert-Lippitz
FIGURE
4a
Necklace with cameo pendant. Front. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum
83.AM.225.2.
FIGURE
4C
Back of pendant, figure 4a.
FIGURE
4b
Front of pendant and ends of chain, figure 4a.
113
FIGURE 5
Two chains with pendants. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum 83.AM.226.1-2.
second c e n t u r y and first h a l f o f the t h i r d century,
3. T W O C H A I N S W I T H P E N D A N T S (fig.
large cameos were generally used for pendants as w e l l
L : 23 c m and 24.5 c m ; fmials L : 4 c m and 5.7 c m ; one
as for brooches.
32
T h e cameo o f the G e t t y pendant
l i n k 0.8 c m ; pendant 1.12 c m ; W t : 18.05 g and 18.21 g
represents the busts o f a couple w i t h t h e i r noses b r o
L i t . : GettyMusJ
ken o f f I t is difficult t o decide w h e t h e r this happened
83.AM.226.i, 2
by accident or as the result o f a damnatio memoriae. T h e
m a n is w e a r i n g a p a l u d a m e n t u m , the w o m a n a palla
5)
Each
12 (1984), p. 257, nos. 3, 4
chain
consists
o f twenty-six
flattened
figure-of-eight l i n k s . O n e end is attached t o a small,
over a tunic. H e r coiffure places the cameo i n the m i d -
possibly m o d e r n r i n g , the other terminates i n a h o o k ,
t h i r d century A . D . I t is s i m i l a r t o that o f the R o m a n
w h i c h is p a r t l y masked b y a leaf-shaped g o l d plate,
empresses O t a c i l i a Severa ( A . D . 244-249), H e r e n n i a
recalling the f i n i a l o f the chain described above. T h e
Etruscilla ( A . D . 249-251), and Salonina ( A . D .
268).
33
253-
t w o h o o k s differ i n l e n g t h b u t are o t h e r w i s e identical.
Closely related i n design and q u a l i t y is an
Each one is made o f a r o u n d w i r e , one end o f w h i c h is
u n m o u n t e d cameo w i t h a facing couple, dated to the
fastened to the chain, the other one bent. T h e t w o
first quarter o f the t h i r d century, f r o m a grave i n
plates are the same size. T h e i r leaflike effect is u n d e r
Cologne.
34
E v e n m o r e s i m i l a r is a pendant w i t h a
l i n e d b y a d d i t i o n a l o p e n w o r k and incised lines. Each
cameo representing t w o female heads, possibly those
l i n k o f the chains supports a small pendant consisting
o f Julia Maesa and Julia Mamaea, and an o p e n w o r k
frame w i t h f o u r settings h o l d i n g garnets.
35
A more
o f a short l e n g t h o f r o u n d w i r e f o r m i n g a l o o p at the
top and coiled at the l o w e r end. T h e pearls that these
refined version o f the same subject is f o u n d o n a
pendants p r o b a b l y h e l d have n o t been preserved, b u t
cameo pendant
the
nearly all the circlets o f g o l d granules that stopped the
from
a grave i n V i m i n a c i u m ,
m o d e r n Kostolac i n Y u g o s l a v i a .
36
B o t h portraits can
pearls f r o m s l i p p i n g o f f are s t i l l there. T h e w a y the
be dated t o about A . D . 230. M u c h simpler are the
w i r e ends o f the pendants are coiled is s t i l l v e r y m u c h
numerous j e t pendants w i t h representations
i n the R o m a n t r a d i t i o n . I n contrast, B y z a n t i n e g o l d
o f hus
band and w i f e f o u n d i n the R h i n e provinces and i n
smiths preferred to flatten the ends, creating a sort o f
B r i t a i n . M o s t o f t h e m can be dated t o the f o u r t h cen
pin.
tury A . D .
3 7
T h e y differ f r o m the earlier pieces m e n
Except for dark stains o n several pendants and
l i n k s o n one chain—the other chain m a y have been
t i o n e d here i n that the couple is t y p i c a l l y s h o w n en face
cleaned by the f o r m e r o w n e r — b o t h are i n perfect c o n
rather than facing one another.
d i t i o n . O n l y one pendant is missing.
114 Deppert-Lippitz
Chains w i t h a r o w o f identical pendants have a
certain t r a d i t i o n i n Greek and R o m a n jewelry, although
S o u t h o f France and definitely c o m i n g f r o m a B y z a n
tine w o r k s h o p , also recalls o u r pair o f c h a i n s .
44
Two
n o t m a n y pieces have survived. A characteristic e x a m
elaborate leaf-shaped ornaments, each fitted w i t h a
ple o f the second c e n t u r y A . D . is a g o l d w i r e necklace
hoop, serve as finials. H e r e again the exact purpose is
w i t h green glass pendants
unknown.
in Rome.
3 8
i n Lyons,
found i n a
sarcophagus
A large h o a r d o f R o m a n j e w e l r y deposited
probably i n A . D .
197, contained several
splendid necklaces w i t h r o w s o f amethyst and garnet
pendants.
39
A necklace f r o m a p r i n c e l y grave f r o m
Bakodpuszta i n H u n g a r y
4 0
and another f r o m the pre
v i o u s l y m e n t i o n e d late f o u r t h - to early f i f t h - c e n t u r y
G e r m a n i c grave f r o m U n t e r s i e b e n b r u n n i n A u s t r i a
4.
O P E N W O R K - D E C O R A T E D B A N G L E (flgS. 6a,
b)
H : 2.82 c m ; i n n e r D i a m : 5.16 X 4.64 c m ; outer D i a m :
6.21 X 5.76 c m ; h i n g e p i n H : 2.54 c m ; W t : 65.69 g
L i t . : GettyMus]
12 (1984), p. 257, no. 143.5
83.AM.227.2
41
T h e t w o parts o f this penannular bracelet w i t h a
represent local i m i t a t i o n s o f the E a r l y B y z a n t i n e ver
movable section are j o i n e d at one side b y a p e r m a
sion o f the type.
n e n t l y set clasp and at the other b y a h i n g e consisting
mosaics,
o f three i n t e r l o c k i n g j o i n t s and a removable screw p i n
pearls, w h i c h were already appreciated i n Early R o m a n
Judging
b y t h e i r representation
on
instead o f a fixed rivet. T h e p i n is made o f r o u n d
times, m u s t have been t r e m e n d o u s l y i n d e m a n d i n the
w i r e , encircled i n its upper part b y a flat w i r e , f o r m i n g
Late A n t i q u e and B y z a n t i n e periods. A s they are sub
the thread (fig. 6 b ) .
j e c t t o decay, they do n o t often survive. U s u a l l y o n l y
the p i n and thread are o f different g o l d alloys. T h e p i n
4 5
Probably for technical reasons
t h e i r e m p t y settings are left. A m o n g the few examples
has a reddish color, whereas the e n c i r c l i n g flat w i r e
w i t h pearls perfectly preserved are t w o pairs o f ear
has a y e l l o w i s h t i n t . A flat w i r e soldered t o the inside
rings f r o m a f o u r t h - c e n t u r y A . D . grave i n A r m a z i s -
o f the t o p chenier corresponds t o the thread o f the
k h e v i i n Georgia, b o t h w i t h the same circlets o f g o l d
granules as o n o u r c h a i n s .
42
screw. T h e screw head, s u r r o u n d e d b y small g o l d
granules, supports a b o x setting w i t h a small cabo-
T h e exact purpose o f these t w o chains can o n l y
c h o n sapphire.
be guessed at. T h e y are t o o short to f o r m i n d i v i d u a l
H i n g e s secured by screw pins are n o t unusual
necklaces, and the w a y the t w o h o o k s are constructed
d u r i n g the Late R o m a n to E a r l y B y z a n t i n e p e r i o d .
and attached t o the chains excludes the p o s s i b i l i t y that
O n e o f the finest examples is a bracelet f o u n d i n a
the t w o chains were meant t o f o r m a single necklace.
G e r m a n i c grave at Bakodpuszta, w h i c h was certainly
O u r k n o w l e d g e o f Late A n t i q u e and E a r l y B y z a n t i n e
made b y a R o m a n g o l d s m i t h .
costume
B y z a n t i n e bracelets w i t h screws b e l o n g t o the Malaia
is
based
mainly
on
representations
in
46
A pair o f f i f t h - c e n t u r y
mosaics, w h i c h do n o t necessarily give the f u l l p i c
Pereschepina treasure.
ture. We can, however, presume that there was a
fibulae are fitted w i t h s i m i l a r screws.
47
Several Late R o m a n crossbow
48
n u m b e r o f possibilities for the use o f chains. A l r e a d y
T h e bracelet consists o f a b a n d f o r m i n g
i n H e l l e n i s t i c times chains sometimes connected a
hoop, edged b y borders that are t u r n e d i n w a r d , thus
the
pair o f earrings. A p p a r e n t l y this fashion was repeated
r e i n f o r c i n g the h o o p and at the same t i m e creating the
i n the E a r l y B y z a n t i n e p e r i o d . A l i t t l e h o a r d f r o m
i m p r e s s i o n o f a b u l g e d cross-section. T h e b a n d is
C h i o s , dated t o the s i x t h or early seventh c e n t u r y
completely
A . D . , contains a pair o f earrings connected b y a g o l d
w o r k e d decoration coupled w i t h colored gems. T h e
chain 39 c m l o n g .
4 3
covered w i t h
a pattern o f fine
open-
To the center o f this chain is
o p e n w o r k is so m i n u t e i n scale and so t i g h t l y c r o w d e d
attached a shorter l e n g t h o f chain o f s i m i l a r make,
together i n a n a r r o w space that n o e m p t y g r o u n d
t e r m i n a t i n g i n a h o o k . I t is masked w i t h a leaf-shaped
remains. T h e piece, i n fact, is r e m i n i s c e n t o f filigree
g o l d plate, w h i c h t y p o l o g i c a l l y is v e r y close t o the
w o r k or v e r y fine lace. I t has been suggested
finials o f o u r t w o chains. T h e exact purpose o f the
several scholars that the o p e n w o r k o f these bracelets
h o o k o f the C h i o s chain has never been established. I t
was enhanced b y a colored l i n i n g , secured t o the i n t e
might
r i o r o f the pieces.
have j o i n e d
the chain w i t h
a headdress, a
breastchain, or a fibula. H o w e v e r , none o f these possi
49
by
H o w e v e r , tests have p r o v e d that a
l i n i n g w o u l d h a r d l y be visible as the pierced holes are
bilities explains the different lengths o f the finials o n
extremely fine. T h e borders are left p l a i n and serve as
the t w o G e t t y chains.
b a c k g r o u n d for a series o f precious and semiprecious
A short chain w i t h several pendants, said t o have
been f o u n d i n a V i s i g o t h i c context i n Spain or i n the
gems
as w e l l as glass inlays,
missing.
most o f them n o w
Λ Group of Late Antique Jewelry
F I G U R E
115
6a
Bracelet with openwork and colored stones. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum
83.AM.227.2.
F I G U R E
6b
Screw pin closure of bracelet, figure 6a.
T h e o p e n - w o r k decoration is d i v i d e d i n t o d i f
n o d o u b t meant to i m i t a t e cabochon sapphires.
The
ferent fields separated b y pairs o f n o w - e m p t y pearl
four p r o j e c t i n g prongs o f these claw settings are cut
settings. Each pearl was p a r t l y covered b y r o u n d c o l
i n t o the collet.
lets. I n accordance w i t h the t r a d i t i o n a l R o m a n w a y o f
A l l settings are m o u n t e d o n a plain, open base,
setting pearls, they were pierced and s t r u n g o n short
w h i c h is s u r r o u n d e d b y a circular a j o u r - d e c o r a t e d
w i r e ends, w h i c h were rather carelessly stuck t h r o u g h
border framed b y a straight reserved line. T h e emerald
small openings i n the collets. T h e p r e d i l e c t i o n for the
settings are c o m b i n e d w i t h a design o f t i n y v i n e
d i v i s i o n o f the surface i n t o o r n a m e n t a l zones, sepa
leaves, the "sapphires" w i t h alternating lozenges and
rated b y straight reserved lines, betrays a d i s t i n c t i v e
rosettes. A l l interstices are f i l l e d w i t h the delicate lines
characteristic o f Late R o m a n m i n o r art i n general. A t
o f a t i g h t l y organized s c r o l l w o r k o f the greatest i n
the center o f each o r n a m e n t a l zone is an elaborate
tricacy, repeated
setting h o l d i n g a g e m . Large emeralds i n square set
consists o f scroll spirals w i t h turned-back sprigs devel
b e t w e e n the different
sections. I t
tings supported b y a j o u r - d e c o r a t e d c r o w n settings
o p i n g f r o m t i n y peltae. T h e pelta is a semicircular
alternate w i t h circular claw settings w i t h blue glass,
or heart-shaped decorative device that enjoyed great
116 Deppert-Lippitz
p o p u l a r i t y i n R o m a n mosaics as w e l l as i n m i n o r arts.
T h e peltae o n the G e t t y bracelet are characterized b y
an oval o p e n i n g i n t h e i r center, r e m i n i s c e n t o f the
peltae o n the a j o u r - d e c o r a t e d frame o f a c o i n pendant
f r o m a late t h i r d - c e n t u r y necklace i n C h i c a g o .
50
T h e t y p e o f the G e t t y bracelet is w e l l k n o w n i n
R o m a n j e w e l r y . I n fact, bulged, articulated bangles
represent the m o s t frequent t y p e o f bracelet i n the
t h i r d and f o u r t h centuries A . D . H o w e v e r , m o s t o f the
k n o w n pieces are p l a i n or decorated i n repousse.
51
Par
t i c u l a r l y c h a r m i n g are j e t bracelets o f this type, often
decorated w i t h g o l d e n cuffs at t h e i r j o i n t s .
5 2
T h e ear
liest datable example is a j e t bracelet f o u n d i n B e l g i u m
FIGURE
w i t h a carved r e l i e f decoration, i n c l u d i n g a p o r t r a i t
Bracelet with openwork and colored stones. Richmond, Virginia
Museum, The Williams Fund, 67.5231/1. Photo courtesy Virginia
Museum.
o f Caracalla ( A . D . 198-217).
53
P l a i n g o l d bangles o f
this t y p e were part o f a treasure h i d d e n i n N i c o l a e v o
i n R u m a n i a soon after A . D . 2 4 8 / 2 4 9 .
a hoard f r o m
54
7
Examples f r o m
M o n a c o , dated t h r o u g h coins u p t o
A . D . 276, prove the p o p u l a r i t y o f the t y p e d u r i n g the
second h a l f o f the t h i r d c e n t u r y .
55
T h e r e is also suffi
articulated bracelet f o u n d i n C o l o g n e and n o w i n the
cient p r o o f that the type was s t i l l i n v o g u e d u r i n g the
R ö m i s c h - G e r m a n i s c h e s M u s e u m (fig. 8 ) .
f o u r t h c e n t u r y A . D . T h e m o s t spectacular piece, a j e t
o f a flat b a n d f u l l y covered w i t h o p e n - w o r k e d o r n a
bangle w i t h
an a d d i t i o n a l decoration o f g o l d
and
garnet cloisonne, was f o u n d i n a f o u r t h - c e n t u r y A . D .
grave i n M t s k h e t a i n G e o r g i a .
56
A w a l l - p a i n t i n g i n the
t o m b o f A e l i a A r i s u t h i n Gargaresh i n N o r t h Africa,
dated
to
the
fourth
century
A.D.,
6 0
I t consists
ments except for small areas reserved for settings for
alternately
borders
emeralds
with
and
pearls.
A
jour-decorated
beaded edges are added
and
turned
i n w a r d at a r i g h t angle.
represents
the
A l t h o u g h they f i t i n t o the general pattern o f
5 7
Her
t h i r d - and f o u r t h - c e n t u r y - A . D . j e w e l r y , none o f the
p o r t r a i t is s u r r o u n d e d b y a w r e a t h decorated l i k e a
o p e n w o r k - d e c o r a t e d bracelets m e n t i o n e d so far can be
bracelet w i t h oval sapphires and square emeralds i n
dated o n external evidence. T h e o n l y piece to w h i c h
deceased w i t h a b u l g y bangle o n her r i g h t w r i s t .
m a t c h i n g settings.
an approximate date can be assigned is a bracelet o f
Penannular bracelets w i t h o p e n - w o r k decoration
related type and comparable decoration b e l o n g i n g t o a
can be d i v i d e d i n t o t w o m a i n c o n t e m p o r a r y groups.
hoard said to have been f o u n d i n S i d i - b o u - Z i d near A l
O n e comprises r i g i d bangles that have t o be slipped
M a r j i n Libya (fig. 9 ) .
over the hand, the other articulated bracelets w i t h a
from A . D .
movable section l i k e the piece i n the G e t t y M u s e u m .
hoard to the latter h a l f o f the f o u r t h century.
A splendid representative o f the r i g i d type is a pair o f
bracelets, one o f w h i c h is i n St. Louis, the other i n
Berlin.
5 8
I n b o t h groups there are bracelets restricted
6 1
A series o f g o l d coins r a n g i n g
351/361 to 388 dates the j e w e l r y i n this
T h e bracelet f r o m S i d i - b o u - Z i d appears to be
the earliest k n o w n example o f a type that was
become
extremely successful
d u r i n g the
to
following
t o p l a i n g o l d and others m a r k e d b y the use o f c o l o r f u l
t w o centuries.
gemstones. A pair i n the V i r g i n i a M u s e u m o f A r t i n
forced r i m s and an articulated square section. T h e a
R i c h m o n d is a fine example o f the articulated version
j o u r - d e c o r a t e d surface o f the h o o p is d i v i d e d i n t o a
(fig. 7 ) .
bracelet,
5 9
62
I t consists o f a flat band w i t h r e i n
A l t h o u g h different i n detail f r o m the G e t t y
series o f geometric ornaments,
the well-balanced c o m p o s i t i o n a l design o f
with
vegetal
scrolls. T h e
the interstices
filled
dense o p e n w o r k o f the
the pair i n the V i r g i n i a m u s e u m , c o m b i n i n g o p e n
square section is encrusted w i t h a large amethyst sur
w o r k and settings w i t h square emeralds
r o u n d e d b y pearls i n b o x settings. T h e lacelike effect
alternating
w i t h oval or circular sapphires, repeats the basic c o n
o f the pierced decoration o f this bracelet is closer to
cept o f the G e t t y bracelet. T h e outer borders, h o w
that o f the G e t t y bracelet than to any other k n o w n
ever, are n o t encrusted b u t decorated w i t h a
bracelet.
flowing
vegetal scroll i n o p e n w o r k .
Particularly close t o the G e t t y bracelet is an
T h e g o l d s m i t h t o w h o m w e owe the bracelet i n
the G e t t y M u s e u m d i s t i n g u i s h e d h i m s e l f b y some
117
remarkable innovations. T h e i m p o r t a n c e o f the h i n g e
p i n w i t h an elaborate screw and ornamental head has
already been stressed. However, his settings deserve
even m o r e a t t e n t i o n . W i t h the exception o f the brace
let f r o m C o l o g n e (fig. 8), the gemstones o n all related
bracelets are inserted i n simple, undecorated collets,
the pearls h e l d b y w i r e and set i n t o an o p e n i n g or a
cavity.
T h e emeralds o f the C o l o g n e bracelet
are
pierced, s t r u n g o n w i r e , and set i n t o a square o p e n i n g
s u r r o u n d e d by an o r n a m e n t a l frame. I n contrast, the
G e t t y bracelet features a c u t - d o w n claw setting for the
F I G U R E
8
Bracelet with openwork and colored stones. Cologne, RömischGermanisches Museum 1498. Photo courtesy Römisch-Germanisches
Museum.
sapphire-blue glass, a raised setting w i t h o p e n w o r k
that c o u l d be called a covered c r o w n setting for the
emeralds, and p l a i n truncated cones for the pearls. I n
c o m p a r i s o n t o the usual R o m a n b o x setting, these
elaborate settings betray a sense o f e x p e r i m e n t and a
n e w attitude t o w a r d the colored stones. T h e c u t - d o w n
claw setting used for the blue glass allows a m a x i m u m
o f translucence, thus enhancing the color o f the glass.
T h e emeralds are safely secured by a collet, w h i l e the
o p e n w o r k o f the s u p p o r t i n g square coronet adds to
their translucence.
T h e c u s t o m o f m o u n t i n g sapphires i n c r o w n
settings
w i t h s t r o n g prongs and emeralds i n solid
square settings became standard i n the E a r l y B y z a n
t i n e p e r i o d . However, the earliest examples o f this
m e t h o d o f securing inlays can be f o u n d already i n the
late t h i r d century. A l t h o u g h rare i n number, they d e f i
n i t e l y prove that R o m a n goldsmiths o f this p e r i o d
F I G U R E
9
Bracelet with openwork, colored stones, and pearls. Washington,
D.C., Dumbarton Oaks, The Byzantine Collection 75.1. Photo
courtesy Dumbarton Oaks.
successfully mastered different ways o f replacing the
simple b o x setting. A n aquamarine i n a finger r i n g
f r o m the Beaurains
treasure, h i d d e n n o t later than
A . D . 312, is secured by four claws cut i n t o a square
collet.
63
T h e metal between the claws is pared d o w n ,
creating a sort o f volute-shaped c r o w n . A finger r i n g
f r o m a r i c h grave i n Cologne, coin-dated to the t h i r d
quarter o f the t h i r d c e n t u r y A . D . , shows a small sap
p h i r e secured by six c l a w s .
5.
64
G O L D E N B A N G L E W I T H C O L O R E D GEMS
(figs. 10a, b)
Η (larger sector): 3.24 c m ; Η (smaller sector): 3.18 c m ;
inner
Diam:
6.39
X
5.23
cm;
outer
Diam:
7.30 X 6.38 c m ; h i n g e p i n L : 3.45 c m ; W t : 116.27 g
L i t : GettyMusJ
12 (1984), p. 257, no. 143.5
83.AM.227.1
T h i s bracelet is p r o b a b l y the m o s t curious and
i n t r i g u i n g object o f the hoard. A l t h o u g h basically a
R o m a n shape, i t has a barbaric g l a m o r that appeals t o
the m o d e r n eye. I n fact, the shape affiliates i t w i t h the
openwork-decorated bracelet described before and the
118 Deppert-Lippitz
FIGURE IOa
Bracelet with encrustation.
Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum
83.AM.227.1.
FIGURE
lob
Removable pin closure on bracelet, figure ioa.
other related pieces. I t is an articulated bangle w i t h
t i o n is somewhat thinner, and the o u t w a r d - b e n t edges
movable sections. However, the artist d i d n o t hesitate
o f the g o l d band are somewhat
to use the c o n v e n t i o n a l shape for a c o m p l e t e l y d i f
larger section, thus r e d u c i n g the overall w e i g h t o f the
ferent concept. T h e h o o p consists o f a heavy flat g o l d
bracelet. T h i s w o u l d have made the unusually heavy
l o w e r than i n the
band the edges o f w h i c h are bent o u t w a r d at a r i g h t
bracelet m o r e comfortable to wear, and, i n fact, s i m i
angle. T h e larger section, w h i c h tapers s l i g h t l y t o w a r d
lar
differences between front and back sections
are
the ends, is connected t o the smaller one by t r i p a r t i t e
seen quite often o n articulated bangles—the o p e n w o r k -
hinges fitted w i t h pins. O n one side is a simple rivet,
decorated
o n the other side is a removable p i n consisting o f a
(fig. 8) b e i n g one example.
bracelet
from
Cologne
described
above
strip o f g o l d sheet b o t h ends o f w h i c h are inserted
T h e o u t w a r d - b e n t edges f o r m a ledge 0.59 c m
i n t o a t i n y b o x setting w i t h green glass inlay. T h e
w i d e , w h i c h protects the p r o t r u d i n g settings spread
smaller, back section o f the bracelet appears l o w e r
over the hoop. These settings consist o f p l a i n circular,
than the larger, f r o n t section, a l t h o u g h the difference
oval, or square collets arranged i n pairs. T h e r i m s are
is o n l y .6 m m . H o w e v e r , the g o l d i n the smaller sec
folded over the edge o f the inlays, sometimes f o r m i n g
119
FIGURE I I
Pair of bracelets from Malaia Pereschepina. St. Petersburg, Hermitage Museum 1930/8.9. Photo
courtesy Hermitage Museum.
a small border. I n displaying the different settings, the
smaller w i d t h o f the movable sector and the tapering
g o l d s m i t h strictly observed the rules o f s y m m e t r y and
ends o f the larger part. T h i s analogy is o f special
created a balanced c o m p o s i t i o n . T w o pairs o f settings
i m p o r t a n c e for the d a t i n g o f o u r piece. T h e t y p o l o g i
w i t h colored inlays alternate w i t h a pair o f a truncated
cal as w e l l as stylistic aspects o f the C o l o g n e bracelet
cones, each w i t h a circlet o f beaded w i r e a r o u n d the
argue for an o r i g i n i n the t h i r d t o f o u r t h c e n t u r y A . D . ,
top. T h e y possibly contained pearls. A l l other settings
a date that can also be proposed for the second brace
are s l i g h t l y smaller at the base t h a n at the top.
let f r o m the G e t t y hoard. A t the same t i m e the d i f
T h e small sector (fig. 10b) is decorated w i t h a
ferences between the t w o pieces are great. I n spite o f
pair o f truncated cones framed b y a pair o f oval set
its o b v i o u s R o m a n shape, the G e t t y bracelet is funda
tings w i t h blue glass and one square and one oval
m e n t a l l y u n - R o m a n i n character. T h i s m i g h t best be
setting w i t h green glass. T h e larger sector displays
explained b y assuming that i t is o f p r o v i n c i a l o r i g i n or
seven pairs o f oval, square, and circular settings, alter
even created b e y o n d the borders. I n fact, i t occupies a
settings
curious p o s i t i o n halfway between the Late R o m a n
contain red, blue, and green glass inlays and, i n three
sphere and another, w h i c h m a y be described as either
cases, emeralds. T h e colored glass imitates cabochons,
O r i e n t a l or b a r b a r i c .
the emeralds are used i n their natural shape.
p r o v i d e d b y a pair o f bracelets f r o m the M a l a i a Pere
n a t i n g w i t h pairs o f truncated cones. T h e
T h e artisan w h o created this bracelet used the
65
Perhaps the closest parallel is
schepina hoard, b u r i e d d u r i n g the second h a l f o f the
well-established type o f a bangle w i t h o p e n i n g sec
seventh c e n t u r y A . D . i n Southern Russia b u t c o m p r i s
t i o n , however, treating the set f o r m u l a i n a c o m p l e t e l y
i n g a n u m b e r o f earlier pieces (fig. 11). Rather
different manner. B e n d i n g the edges o u t w a r d seems
and o f slipshod craftsmanship, the bracelets are p r o
t o be quite unusual, b u t i t offers a b r i l l i a n t s o l u t i o n t o
p o r t i o n e d i n a different w a y w i t h a movable sector
the p r o b l e m o f p r o t e c t i n g the p r o t r u d i n g settings. I n
treated as a separate element. T h e decoration as w e l l
creating this bracelet,
as the overall aspect are, however, v e r y similar.
the g o l d s m i t h o b v i o u s l y had
m a i n l y the display o f the m u l t i c o l o r e d inlays i n m i n d .
Although
different
from
the
other
open-worked
66
flimsy
T h e h o a r d f r o m M a l a i a Pereschepina possibly
represents the grave-goods
o f K u v r a t , w h o i n the
bracelet i n the hoard, this bracelet shares the former's
m i d - s e v e n t h c e n t u r y A . D . as ruler o f a B u l g a r i a n tribe
lavish attitude t o w a r d precious stones.
f o u n d e d an e m p i r e o n the steppes o f South Russia.
N o direct parallel t o this bracelet is o n record. I n
67
To j u d g e by the n u m b e r o f B y z a n t i n e objects i n the
from
hoard, K u v r a t m u s t have had v e r y close relations t o
C o l o g n e . T h e t w o pieces represent different versions
B y z a n t i u m . T h e pair o f bracelets described above is
shape i t recalls the already m e n t i o n e d bracelet
o f a c o m m o n Late R o m a n type, and they are f u r t h e r
either a barbaric i m i t a t i o n o f the B y z a n t i n e t y p e or
more
was made by a B y z a n t i n e g o l d s m i t h i n one o f the
linked
by
certain
details,
for instance,
the
120 Deppert-Lippitz
p r o v i n c i a l centers. T h e ledge o f the G e t t y bracelet,
p r o t e c t i n g the p r o t r u d i n g settings, has
degenerated
to a simple flange, and a plain r o w o f circular settings
has replaced the balanced arrangement
o f inlays o f
different shapes. However, the general scheme o f c o m
p o s i t i o n is similar, and the pair f r o m M a l a i a Pereschepina s t i l l reveals the same enthusiasm for p o l y c h r o m y
and v i g o r o u s design as the G e t t y bracelet.
Whoever
created this peculiar piece was perfectly w e l l trained.
H e d r e w a b o l d design, and the execution shows n o
FIGURE
signs o f untidiness.
12a
Openwork bracelet. Malibu, J . Paul Getty Museum 83.AM.227.3.
6.
O P E N W O R K B A N G L E W I T H PEOPLED SCROLLS
(figs. I2a-c)
Η : i . 4 - 1 . 4 3 c m ; D i a m : 6.3 c m ; W t : 27.06 g
concept o f the h u n t translated i n t o scenes o f the chase.
L i t . : GettyMusJ
T h e complete concept o f a h u n t , rendered i n o p e n
12 (1984), p. 257, no. 5
w o r k , can be seen o n a g o l d plaque i n the B r i t i s h
83.AM.227.3
T h e t h i r d bracelet o f the G e t t y h o a r d consists o f
M u s e u m , w i t h the figures o f a m o u n t e d huntress and
a c o m p l e t e l y circular h o o p made o f a strip o f g o l d
a lioness i n front o f a pierced b a c k g r o u n d o f vegetal
sheet and bordered o n each edge by a p l a i n flange. Its
scrollwork.
surface is covered all over w i t h the carefully composed
o f a belt, is part o f a s m a l l h o a r d o f g o l d objects f o u n d
f r a m e w o r k o f a f o r m a l vegetal scroll. F o r m e d by a
i n Asia M i n o r together w i t h coins o f Constantius
single n a r r o w stem, i t loops alternately t o the r i g h t
Gallus ( A . D . 351-354) and Constantius I I ( A . D . 337—
and t o the left creating circular volutes. These c o n t a i n
361).
v i n e and i v y leaves, k o r y m b e s , and a pelta. E v e r y
O n e belongs t o the h o a r d f r o m Desana i n N o r t h e r n
spandrel b e t w e e n the spirals is occupied b y fine s c r o l l
Italy (fig. 1 3 ) ,
w o r k . T h e stylized scroll o f this bracelet has l i t t l e life
is o f u n k n o w n provenance
o f its o w n . Twice, however, i t is i n t e r r u p t e d b y a
hoard is a g r o u p o f G o t h i c and Late R o m a n j e w e l r y
71
70
T h i s plaque, w h i c h was used as the tab
T w o m o r e bracelets o f this type are k n o w n .
72
the other one, i n the B r i t i s h M u s e u m ,
(fig. 1 4 ) .
73
T h e Desana
h u n t i n g scene. O n one side a d i m i n u t i v e h o u n d is
said t o have been f o u n d together and dated t o the end
chasing a deer (fig. 12b), o n the other side a second
o f the
fifth
c e n t u r y A . D . T h e circular h o o p o f the
h o u n d pursues a hare (fig. 12c), each contained w i t h i n
o p e n w o r k bracelet f r o m Desana, reinforced by a plain
the w h o r l s . I n spite o f the small scale and u n d i s t i n
flange,
guished w o r k m a n s h i p , the creatures are v i g o r o u s and
w i t h leaves and grapes that divides the surface i n t o
lively i n their movement.
semicircular sections, each c i r c u m s c r i b i n g a vintage
F i l l i n g floral scrolls w i t h l i v i n g creatures is a dec
scene or a b i r d p e c k i n g a grape.
T h e bracelet i n the B r i t i s h M u s e u m , b r o k e n i n t o
orative device that enjoyed great p o p u l a r i t y t h r o u g h
o u t the h i s t o r y o f H e l l e n i s t i c and R o m a n a r t .
68
The
m o t i f is f o u n d i n w a l l - p a i n t i n g s and architecture and
on
floor
mosaics, b u t p r o b a b l y the m i n o r arts p r o
v i d e d an i m p o r t a n t element
o f its c o n t i n u i t y . A s
is decorated w i t h an u n d u l a t i n g v i n e scroll
two
parts, is d i v i d e d i n t o four sections b y means o f
p l a i n g o l d discs s u r r o u n d e d by o p e n w o r k . T h e four
genre scenes o f vintage and h u n t i n g , set against a
s c r o l l w o r k b a c k g r o u n d , possibly represent the four
R o m a n j e w e l r y o f the first and second c e n t u r y A . D .
seasons. T h i s piece has a v e r y characteristic
tends t o be rather abstract i n its design, i t is u n d e r
decoration, w h i c h relates i t t o an even m o r e elaborate
standable that the m o t i f turns u p rather late i n j e w e l r y .
bracelet f r o m the Tenes hoard, w h i c h has
A p a r t i c u l a r l y p o p u l a r c o m m o n p l a c e subject o f later
been a t t r i b u t e d b y K . R. B r o w n t o a w o r k s h o p i n
R o m a n art is the v i n e scroll w i t h harvesting p u t t i .
R o m e and dated about A . D . 4 0 0 .
Less c o m m o n is the c o m b i n a t i o n o f the
animated
border
recently
74
T w o m o r e bracelets are affiliated w i t h this group.
scroll w i t h another favorite subject i n m a n y media o f
O n e , f o r m e r l y i n the D u t u i t c o l l e c t i o n i n Paris, is said
Late R o m a n art, the h u n t , w h i c h is considered t o be
to have been f o u n d i n C o l o g n e ,
s y m b o l i c o f transcendent v i c t o r y .
represents
an
abbreviated
69
T h e G e t t y bracelet
version
o f the
hunting
scene, w i t h the h u n t e r h i m s e l f n o t s h o w n and the
75
J ü l i c h , is n o w i n B e r l i n (fig. 1 5 ) .
76
the other, f o u n d i n
I n b o t h cases p l a i n
circular medallions d i v i d e the h o o p i n t o several sec
tions, each w i t h a different o p e n w o r k pattern.
F I G U R E
121
I2b
Hound and deer decoration on bracelet, figure 12a.
F I G U R E
I 2 C
Hound and hare decoration on bracelet, figure 12a.
F I G U R E
F I G U R E
13
Openwork-decorated bracelet from Desana. Turin, Museo Civico,
no inv. no. Photo courtesy Museo Civico.
F I G U R E
14
Openwork-decorated bracelet. London, British Museum BMCJ
2817. Photo courtesy Trustees of the British Museum.
15
Openwork-decorated bracelet. Berlin, Kunstgewerbemuseum 98,46.
Photo courtesy Kunstgewerbemuseum.
122 Deppert-Lippitz
η.
SEVEN
GOLD
FINGER
vex, the inside concave. T h e oval bezel holds a reused
RINGS
Finger rings o f the f o u r t h and f i f t h centuries are
relatively r a r e .
77
R o m a n calcified carnelian i n t a g l i o w i t h a female head
T h e r e is none i n the Tenes treasure
facing to the left, set separately i n g o l d . T h e j o i n t
n o r i n the h o a r d f r o m Carthage. I n contrast, the T h e t -
between the h o o p and the bezel is braced w i t h a g r a n
ford treasure contains t w e n t y - t w o finger rings, f o r m
ulated triangle. T h e shape o f this r i n g is close to one
ing
o f the finger rings f r o m the T h e t f o r d treasure.
several h i g h l y distinctive groups.
Some o f the
pieces s h o w affinities t o finger rings f r o m the Desana
g r o u p and t o the h o a r d f r o m Reggio E m i l i a .
7 8
With
resembles a piece f r o m T u d d e n h a m ,
79
Suffolk,
I t also
found
together w i t h coins r a n g i n g f r o m Constantius I I t o
8 0
one exception all the rings f r o m the G e t t y h o a r d are o f
Honorius.
nearly identical t y p e and size. T h e y are n o t altogether
c o m m o n already i n the R o m a n p e r i o d , can also be
i n the o r d i n a r y l i n e o f Late R o m a n finger rings, w h i c h
observed i n M e r o v i n g i a n and Frankish j e w e l r y .
tend
to
feature
either
round
shanks
or
filigree-
T h e reuse o f Classical intaglios, quite
81
Beaded j o i n t s are occasionally f o u n d o n R o m a n
decorated ones. Because o f the dearth o f published
finger
m a t e r i a l o f the later f o u r t h
usually consist o f l i t t l e pellets soldered t o each side o f
and
fifth
centuries,
it
rings as early as the first c e n t u r y A . D . T h e y
m i g h t , however, be m i s l e a d i n g t o d r a w final c o n c l u
the h o o p w h e r e i t j o i n s the bezel. A m o r e
sions. I n any case, w i t h the exception o f one piece, o u r
beading d i d n o t seem t o be fashionable before the late
rings seem t o come f r o m a single w o r k s h o p .
fourth century A . D . The
finger
elaborate
rings i n this h o a r d
appear t o be a m o n g the earliest examples o f the t r i
angle decoration. H o w e v e r , i n the early B y z a n t i n e
p e r i o d this decorative device became so c o m m o n that
it was i m i t a t e d even b e y o n d the borders. A splendid
example o f a later stage i n its use is a B y z a n t i n e g o l d
82
r i n g i n the M e l v i n G u t m a n c o l l e c t i o n . O n this r i n g
as o n some o f the G e t t y specimens, a larger pellet is
added t o the upper angles o f the t r i a n g l e .
F I G U R E S
83
i6a-c
Finger ring with Roman carnelian intaglio. Malibu, J. Paul Getty
Museum 83. A M . 2 2 8 . 1 . Drawing by Martha Breen.
a. Gold ring with engraved carnelian (figs. i 6 a - c )
H : 2.47 c m ; D i a m : 2.29 c m ; bezel 1.76 X 1.38 c m ;
W t : 6.21 g
L i t . for this and the f o l l o w i n g finger rings: Getty
Mus]
12 (1984), ρ· 257, no. 6
83.AM.228.1
L i k e all b u t one o f the rings f r o m the G e t t y
h o a r d this one consists o f t w o parts, a circular b a n d —
the so-called h o o p or shank—and a bezel, w h i c h sup
ports the collet for setting a gemstone. T h e p l a i n h o o p
is o f equal w i d t h t h r o u g h o u t , the outside s l i g h t l y c o n
F I G U R E S
I7a-c
Museum 83.AM.228.3. Drawing by Martha Breen.
b. Gold ring with engraved carnelian (figs,
123
IJSL-C)
H : 2.7 c m ; D i a m : 2.9 c m ; bezel 1.91 X 1.65
cm;
W t : 16.13 g
83.AM.228.3
T h e shape o f this relatively large r i n g is s i m i l a r
to the preceding ring's. T h e b o x l i k e bezel
contains
a reused R o m a n carnelian i n t a g l i o s h o w i n g a male
seated o n a d o l p h i n . Granulated triangles accentuate
the j u n c t i o n o f the bezel and hoop, the outside o f
w h i c h is m a r k e d b y a central ridge.
FIGURES
IQa-C
Finger ring with agate. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum 83.AM.228.6.
Drawing by Martha Breen.
d. Gold ring with agate inlay (figs. I9a-c)
H : 2.98 c m ; D i a m : 2.68 c m ; bezel: 2.17 X 1.85 c m ;
W t : 12.61 g
83.AM.228.6
Same type as the preceding rings. A n agate i n
the shape o f a truncated cone is m o u n t e d separately i n
F I G U R E S
g o l d and set i n t o the b o x l i k e bezel. A central ridge
i8a-c
accentuates the hoop. O n each side o f the beaded
Finger ring with mother-of-pearl inlay Malibu, J. Paul Getty
c. Gold ring with mother-of-pearl inlay (figs. i8a-c)
H:
3 c m ; D i a m : 2.77 c m ; bezel D i a m :
1.89
cm;
W t : 13.12 g
83.AM.228.5
Same type as the preceding rings. T h e circular
bezel, w h i c h contains a piece o f m o t h e r - o f - p e a r l , is
decorated w i t h a flange, corrugated o n the upper side.
There are larger pellets at the upper edges o f the g r a n
ulated
triangle.
A
collarlike
flange
is
occasionally
f o u n d o n Late R o m a n finger rings. T h e r e are several
s i m i l a r t h o u g h m o r e elaborate pieces i n the T h e t f o r d
treasure.
84
j o i n t s there are larger pellets. A s i m i l a r r i n g has been
found i n M a i n z ,
8 5
another one i n C o l o g n e .
86
124 Deppert-Lippitz
FIGURES
FIGURES
20a-C
Finger ring with rock crystal. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum
83.AM.228.7. Drawing by Martha Breen.
2ia-C
f. Gold ring with engraved carnelian (figs. 2 i a - c )
H : 2.54 c m ; D i a m : 2.56 c m ; bezel: 1.9 X 1.49 c m ; W t :
e. Gold ring with rock crystal (figs. 2oa-c)
Η : 2.93
c
m
; D i a m : 2.54 c m ; bezel: 1.81 X 1.32 c m ;
15.92 g
83.AM.228.2
W t : 10.69 g
O v a l , bowl-shaped bezel w i t h flat r i m and p l a i n
83.AM.228.7
Same t y p e as the preceding rings, w i t h s l i g h t l y
hoop, convex o n the outside, concave o n the inside.
convex p l a i n h o o p and oval bezel. T h e j o i n t s are deco
O n each side o f the j o i n t s o f the h o o p and the bezel
rated w i t h granulated triangles, the bezel s u r r o u n d e d
there is a pellet. Six h o l l o w pellets, one n o w missing,
by a beaded w i r e . A cabochon r o c k crystal serves as an
were soldered t o the side w a l l o f the bezel, each sup
inlay. S i m i l a r t o this piece is a finger r i n g f r o m a
p o r t i n g a heavy g o l d p i n w i t h a flattened end. O r i g
j e w e l r y treasure said t o be f o u n d i n C o n s t a n t i n o p l e
i n a l l y pearls were m o u n t e d o n these p r o t r u d i n g pins.
and c o i n dated t o the s i x t h c e n t u r y A . D .
8 7
H e r e the
T h e older R o m a n engraved carnelian w i t h the
figure
beaded w i r e encircles a b o x setting c o n t a i n i n g an
o f a standing M e r c u r y is set separately i n g o l d and
agate, w h i l e g o l d globules are attached t o the j o i n t . I n
rises considerably above the setting.
spite o f the absence o f granulated triangles, the closest
Pearls played an i m p o r t a n t role i n R o m a n j e w
parallel seems t o be a finger r i n g f r o m the U n t e r s i e
elry. I t seems, however, that n o t u n t i l the first h a l f o f
b e n b r u n n grave, dated t o the early fifth c e n t u r y A . D .
8 8
the t h i r d c e n t u r y A . D . were they used as a frame for
colored stones or paste. T h e y were always pierced and
s t r u n g o n g o l d w i r e , w h i c h , w h e n used as a frame,
was attached t o the setting b y several loops. Pearls
m o u n t e d o n p r o j e c t i n g pins represent a later step i n
the d e v e l o p m e n t .
89
O n e o f the few w e l l - d a t e d e x a m
ples is a circular o r n a m e n t f r o m a
fifth-century
i n C l u j - S o m e s e n i i n Transsylvania.
90
grave
I t is a b o x l i k e
o r n a m e n t s u r r o u n d e d b y the same t y p e o f g o l d pins
w i t h flattened heads as those o n the G e t t y r i n g .
125
way the profile is t u r n e d t o one side and the bust t o
the other and p a r t i c u l a r l y the treatment o f the hair
recall male busts o n Sasanian stamp seals o f the late
t h i r d and f o u r t h centuries
A.D.
9 1
Very close, t h o u g h o f
inferior quality, is the p o r t r a i t o n a related Sasanian
bronze r i n g said t o have been f o u n d i n L e b a n o n .
92
A d d i t i o n a l stars—or a star and a crescent—can be
f o u n d o n Sasanian as w e l l as o n R o m a n intaglios.
T h e y are a s y m b o l whose true meaning remains open.
C o n t r a r y to Sasanian male portraits, the
man
represented o n the G e t t y r i n g does n o t wear an ear
r i n g . For this reason the p o r t r a i t m a y have been cut by
a Sasanian g o l d s m i t h to represent either a R o m a n or a
barbarian e n t i t l e d t o official R o m a n m i l i t a r y attire.
T y p o l o g i c a l l y this finger r i n g belongs t o a g r o u p
F I G U R E S 22a-C
that is w e l l represented by a s i m i l a r piece w i t h an
Gold finger ring with engraved portrait. Malibu, J. Paul Getty
engraved male bust f r o m the hoard o f Velp, dated t o
the early fifth c e n t u r y
A.D.
9 3
A l s o closely related is a
g o l d r i n g i n Trier s h o w i n g the engraved bust o f a
w o m a n w i t h a coiffure o f the late f o u r t h
A.D.
g. Gold finger ring (figs. 22a-c)
H:
1.9 c m ; D i a m : 2.55 c m ; bezel: 0.8
X 0.8 c m ;
9 4
century
These t w o rings and the G e t t y r i n g can be c o m
pared w i t h the so-called marriage rings, a g r o u p o f
W t : 10.73 g
finger rings w i t h n o t a single b u t a double p o r t r a i t o f a
83. A M . 228.4
facing couple engraved i n the square b e z e l .
Solid g o l d r i n g o f c o m p a r a t i v e l y small size w i t h
95
Further
parallels attributable t o the late f o u r t h century A . D . are
p l a i n h o o p and flat, square bezel w i t h the engraved
a silver r i n g f r o m S o u t h Ferriby, L i n c o l n s h i r e , f o u n d
bust o f a m a n i n R o m a n m i l i t a r y attire t o the r i g h t ,
together
the head t u r n e d t o the left, s h o w i n g his profile. T h e
H o n o r i u s ; a silver r i n g f r o m W h o r l t o n , Yorkshire,
t w o upper corners o f the square field c o n t a i n a star.
f o u n d w i t h coins o f the same p e r i o d ; and three silver
w i t h f o u r t h - c e n t u r y silver coins d o w n t o
96
97
with
rings f o u n d i n A m e s b u r y , W i l t s h i r e , together w i t h a
straight nose, large r o u n d eye, and t h i c k lips. H i s
h o a r d o f coins, the latest b e i n g issues o f Theodosius I
c u r l y hair falls d o w n i n three t i g h t curls, leaving the
( A . D . 379-395) (fig. 2 3 ) .
ear visible. A d o t t e d l i n e a r o u n d the c h i n and j a w
sites apparently represent local versions o f a w i d e
T h e engraving shows
the p o r t r a i t o f a m a n
9 8
These rings f r o m
British
indicates a beard. I n spite o f his official R o m a n m i l i
spread Late R o m a n type. Interestingly enough, t w o o f
tary attire w i t h a p a l u d a m e n t u m h e l d b y a circular
t h e m s h o w an a d d i t i o n a l decoration o f beaded t r i
fibula and a cuirass, o f w h i c h the leather straps over
angles, reminiscent o f the other finger rings f r o m the
the shoulder are visible, the p o r t r a i t is stylistically
G e t t y hoard.
closer t o Sasanian than to R o m a n representations.
FIGURE
The
23
Three silver rings from Amesbury. London, British Museum P&RB 1857.6-30.1-3. Photo courtesy Trustees
of the British Museum.
126 Deppert-Lippitz
F I G U R E
24a
Belt with mounted coins and central ornament. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum 83.AM.224.
8. BELT W I T H M O U N T E D C O I N S (flgS.
L:
77.8
cm;
central
ornament
series o f square settings w i t h coins and green glass
2\Ά-6)
maximum
Diam:
inlays.
Slender
hinges
secure the
settings
to
one
7.5 c m ; each setting: 2.7 X 2.6 c m ; t o t a l W t : 389.94 g
another, and a short double chain and m a t c h i n g h o o k
83.AM.224
finials a l l o w the l e n g t h e n i n g or s h o r t e n i n g o f the belt.
O f all c o i n belts t o have s u r v i v e d f r o m antiquity,
T h e central o r n a m e n t is a quasi-circular g o l d
this is the m o s t elaborate. I t is composed o f several
b o x i n l a i d w i t h green glass, emeralds,
elements, the p r i n c i p a l one b e i n g a large central o r n a
(fig. 24c). I n the v e r y center is a large m a g n i f i c e n t cab-
and garnets
m e n t w i t h p o l y c h r o m e encrustation and three pendant
o c h o n C e y l o n sapphire o f t r i a n g u l a r shape inserted i n
chains (figs. 24a-d). O n each side i t is flanked b y a
a b o x setting w i t h a flat, s l i g h t l y g r o o v e d border. T h i s
A Group of Late Antique fewelry
FIGURE
127
24b
Back of belt, figure 24a.
is s u r r o u n d e d b y a frame w i t h a r o w o f r o u n d recesses
T h e central decoration is s u r r o u n d e d b y a zone
that m a y be presumed o r i g i n a l l y t o have h e l d small
filled w i t h an arrangement o f b o x settings. Four square
cabochon garnets or pearls. T h e pale color o f the
settings f o r m i n g opposite pairs d e t e r m i n e the layout.
frame is due t o a h i g h e r percentage o f silver i n this
T w o o f t h e m c o n t a i n emeralds and one opaque green
alloy than elsewhere i n the ornament. T h e a d d i t i o n o f
glass; the last one is empty. Each inlay is framed b y a
silver t o the g o l d created a harder alloy better suited
s l i g h t l y g r o o v e d border, s i m i l a r t o the one s u r r o u n d
for the flush settings. T h i s rather unusual t y p e o f set
i n g the sapphire. T h e square settings alternate w i t h
t i n g h a r d l y occurs o n R o m a n j e w e l r y , b u t i t is quite
four circular b o x settings, constructed i n the same
frequent i n E a r l y B y z a n t i n e g o l d w o r k . "
w a y and all n o w empty. B e t w e e n these larger settings
128 Deppert-Lippitz
F I G U R E
24c
Front of central ornament of belt, figure 24a.
F I G U R E
24c!
Back of central ornament of belt, figure 24a.
ΐ·
2.
3·
4-
5·
6.
7·
8.
9·
ίο.
ιι.
12.
Ι3·
14-
Ι5·
ι6.
Ι7·
ι8.
Ι9·
20.
21.
22.
23-
FIGURE
129
24e
Graffiti on the sides of the mountings of the coins in belt, figure 24a. Drawing by Tim Seymour after original by Ifigenia Diogissiadu.
are semicircular clusters o f smaller oval b o x settings o f
i n g a r o w o f stylized acanthus leaves p o i n t i n g t o w a r d
the same make, c o n t a i n i n g cabochon garnets.
the center. Such bands o f acanthus leaves are a c o m
T h i s variegated arrangement
o f colored gems
m o n m o t i f i n Late A n t i q u e m e t a l w o r k . Foliage design
and glass is h e l d together by an outer border o f green
o n the back o f a piece o f j e w e l r y seems t o be a par
glass cloisonne, the inner w a l l o f w h i c h is i r r e g u l a r as
ticular feature o f the E a r l y B y z a n t i n e p e r i o d .
103
I t is,
100
however, difficult to decide w h e n this first started. A
Short bands o f g o l d , i n d i v i d u a l l y secured t o the back-
p a r t i c u l a r l y interesting parallel is a pendant f r o m the
plate, d i v i d e the border i n t o cells o f rectangular
so-called O l b i a treasure, n o w i n D u m b a r t o n O a k s .
i t follows the pattern o f the different b o x s e t t i n g s .
or
104
trapezoidal shape. O n e cell is n o w empty, the others
T h e face is set w i t h a large garnet framed by a c e l l -
contain flat slices o f opaque green glass.
w o r k border o r i g i n a l l y i n l a i d w i t h smaller garnets,
Whereas the front is e n t i r e l y covered w i t h d i f
m a n y o f w h i c h are n o w missing. T h e back is deco
ferent settings, the underside o f the central o r n a m e n t
rated i n repousse w i t h a central rosette and f o u r p a l m
bears a petaled rosette o f f u l l y opened acanthus leaves,
branches. M a t c h i n g earrings s h o w a s i m i l a r decora
done i n a distinct t h o u g h
defined outlines (fig. 24a).
flat
relief w i t h
clearly
T h e interstices are e m b e l
t i o n . T h e pendant is attached to a g o l d necklace t e r m i
n a t i n g i n characteristic
f o u r t h - c e n t u r y l i o n s heads
lished by vegetal scrolls rendered i n stippled lines.
and a disc w i t h the bust o f a w o m a n i n r e l i e f .
Such a c o m b i n a t i o n o f repousse w o r k and a d d i t i o n a l
A l s o closely related is a pair o f earrings i n the Walters
stippled lines is quite often seen o n Late A n t i q u e and
A r t G a l l e r y i n B a l t i m o r e , each consisting o f s e m i
Early Byzantine silverwork.
101
105
T h e closest analogy for
precious stones and pearls i n g o l d settings, backed by
the acanthus leaves is f o u n d o n a silver j u g f r o m the
a t h i n sheet o f g o l d decorated i n repousse w i t h an
Water N e w t o n h o a r d o f E a r l y C h r i s t i a n silver, depos
elaborate
i t e d i n the early part o f the f o u r t h c e n t u r y .
102
A n outer border, corresponding t o the cloisonne
border o f the front, repeats the floral theme by s h o w
floral
motif.
1 0 6
Said t o have been f o u n d i n
E x t r e m a d u r a i n Spain, the pair is n o d o u b t the p r o d
uct o f an E a r l y B y z a n t i n e w o r k s h o p .
T h r e e short l i n k - i n - l i n k chains t e r m i n a t i n g i n
130 Deppert-Lippitz
F I G U R E S 24f,
g
Mounted solidi of Valentinianus I (left) and Constans (right) from
belt, figure 24a. (Acc. nos. 83.AM.224.2a [left] and 83.AM.224.2b
[right].)
F I G U R E S 24h,
Ϊ
Mounted solidus of Julianus II from belt, figure 24a. (Acc. no.
83.AM.224. ia.)
F I G U R E S 24J,
k
Mounted solidus of Julianus II from belt,
figure 24a. (Acc. no. 83.AM.224.14.)
Λ Group of Late Antique fewelry
filigree
finials
131
are suspended f r o m the l o w e r edge o f
the central piece o f the G e t t y belt. T h e central chain is
s l i g h t l y longer than the outer ones. O r i g i n a l l y they
were fitted w i t h pierced pearls.
S i m i l a r tassels are
f o u n d o n Palmyrene brooches o f the second and t h i r d
century A . D .
1 0 7
I n the f o u r t h century they appear t o be
part o f the i m p e r i a l fibula, as can be seen o n all c o i n
portraits o f this p e r i o d . I f this has an i m p l i c a t i o n for
the i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f the belt, i t is, however, difficult
to prove. Tasseled belts can occasionally be seen o n
E a r l y B y z a n t i n e representations.
G o o d examples are
the figures o f R o m a and C o n s t a n t i n o p o l i s o n
c e n t u r y ivories i n V i e n n a
Paris.
108
fifth-
and o f an A r i a d n e i n
109
A t t a c h e d to either side o f the central piece is a
t r i p a r t i t e h i n g e w i t h t w o cheniers made f r o m a single
g o l d sheet w i t h a tongue-shaped extension soldered t o
the back (see figs. 24g, ο ) . Its engraved decoration
matches the foliate frieze o n the border o f the back
plate. O n the front three t i n y g o l d granules m a r k the
j o i n t (see figs. 24f, n ) . These hinges correspond t o
F I G U R E S
24I,
m
Mounted solidi of Valentinianus I (left) and Theodosius I (right)
from belt, figure 24a. (Acc. nos. 83. A M . 224.6a [left] and
83.AM.224.6b [right].)
s i m i l a r ones c o n n e c t i n g the single square settings that
f o r m the belt. Each o f the settings consists o f a square
g o l d b o x w i t h l o w walls and a central, circular o p e n
i n g filled b y a m o u n t e d g o l d c o i n . T h e fo u r corners o f
the setting c o n t a i n the same opaque green glass that
was used for the cloisonne border o f the central orna
ment. T h e size o f each single setting is 2.7 X 2.6 c m ,
the w e i g h t o f one setting and c o i n ranges f r o m 11.04 g
to 11.78 g.
A decorative design s i m i l a r t o that o f the central
element o f the G e t t y belt can be seen o n a bracelet i n
the B r i t i s h M u s e u m , f o u n d i n Tunis together
other j e w e l r y .
110
with
I t consists o f a central disc made u p
o f a series o f b o x settings arranged i n circles. O n
either side are t w o o p e n - w o r k h i n g e d bands. A t h i r d c e n t u r y A . D . date has been proposed for this group,
but i t m i g h t be a b i t t o o early for the bracelet.
A further step i n the development is represented
by a somewhat later bracelet f r o m the A s s i u d hoard,
now
in Berlin.
111
T h e arrangement o f settings o n its
clasp recalls that o f the central o r n a m e n t o f o u r belt.
I n spite o f close affinities, none o f the pieces m e n
t i o n e d so far shows a s i m i l a r cloisonne inlay. T h i s is
f o u n d o n w h a t m i g h t be considered the m o s t c o n v i n
c i n g parallel, a b o x l i k e circular o r n a m e n t f r o m
the
Cluj-Someseni h o a r d (figs. 25a-b). T h i s is a G e r m a n i c
grave find for w h i c h a b u r i a l date i n the t h i r d quarter
F I G U R E S
24η,
ο
Mounted solidus of Valens from belt, figure 24a. (Acc. no.
83. A M . 224. ib.)
o f the fifth c e n t u r y A . D . has been p r o p o s e d .
112
While
the front o f the object is c o m p l e t e l y covered b y a net
w o r k o f cloisonne, w i t h the inlays n o w lost, the back
132 Deppert-Lippitz
F I G U R E S
25a,
b
Circular gold ornament from Cluj-Someseni. Top: front; bottom:
back. Bucharest, National Museum, no inv. no. Photos courtesy
National Museum.
shows a less elaborate t h o u g h basically s i m i l a r repousse
T h e square settings that f o r m the G e t t y belt f i n d
decoration. I n a d d i t i o n , the piece is s u r r o u n d e d b y a
their closest parallels i n t w o pairs o f bracelets
from
series o f s m a l l g o l d pins, o r i g i n a l l y f i t t e d w i t h pearls.
f o u r t h - c e n t u r y graves i n A r m a z i s k h e v i i n G e o r g i a .
T h i s is a v e r y p a r t i c u l a r decoration f o u n d also o n the
B o t h consist o f square elements,
finger r i n g G e t t y 8 3 . A M . 2 2 8 . 2 (figs. 21a, b) i n connec
hinges. T h e i r decoration is even m o r e c o l o r f u l than
t i o n w i t h w h i c h the C l u j - S o m e s e n i o r n a m e n t
was
that o f the settings o f the G e t t y belt, as i t combines
T h r e e loops at the l o w e r r i m ,
g o l d , garnets, green glass, and turquoise inlays. T h e
already m e n t i o n e d .
h e l d together
113
by
meant t o h o l d chain pendants, stress the s i m i l a r i t y
comparable m a t e r i a l q u o t e d here ranges f r o m the early
w i t h the central piece o f the G e t t y belt.
f o u r t h t o the f i f t h c e n t u r y A . D . T h i s is the p e r i o d d u r -
i n g w h i c h the p o l y c h r o m e style, m a r k e d by the encrust
133
c o n d i t i o n , issued i n A n t i o c h A . D . 364-367. O b v .
i n g o f g o l d w i t h precious and semiprecious stones or
same legend and t y p e as before. Rev. same legend
colored glass, spread over the w h o l e o f Europe.
and
A
n a r r o w e r c h r o n o l o g i c a l range is p r o v i d e d b y the coins
used. T h e belt—as i t exists—consists o f t w e n t y - t h r e e
settings c o n t a i n i n g coins o f various emperors
type
as before.
I n exergue
ANTE.
RIC,
v o l . 9, p. 272, no. 2(a).
6. 83.AM.224.2a (figs. 24f, g, left).
Setting beside
who
chain t e r m i n a l : Solidus i n perfect c o n d i t i o n issued
reigned d u r i n g the f o u r t h c e n t u r y A . D . , w i t h the latest
i n C o n s t a n t i n o p l e A . D . 364-367. O b v . same l e g
c o i n d a t i n g f r o m the r e i g n o f Theodosius I ( A . D . 3 7 9 -
end as before. B u s t o f emperor as before
395).
The
graffiti
o n the sides o f the
mountings
rosette
d i a d e m . Rev. same legend and t y p e as
( w h i c h m a y or m a y n o t be Greek letters) are i n part
before. I n exergue C O N S . RIC,
illegible, b u t they m a y correspond t o the sequence o f
no. 3(a) var.
the settings i n the belt (fig. 2 4 ε ) .
1 1 4
with
v o l . 9, p. 209,
I n the f o l l o w i n g
the coins are listed i n c h r o n o l o g i c a l o r d e r .
7. 83.AM.224.4b. Solidus i n g o o d c o n d i t i o n , issued
115
i n N i c o m e d i a A . D . 364-367. O b v . same legend as
before.
Constans ( A . D . 337-350)
1. 8 3 . A M . 2 2 4 . 2 b (figs. 24f, g, r i g h t ) . Second setting
beside
chain
issued A . D .
terminal:
Slightly
worn
solidus
337-347 i n A n t i o c h . O b v. F L I U L
C O N S - T A N S P E R A U G . B u s t o f emperor w i t h
beaded diadem, cuirass, and p a l u d a m e n t u m . Rev.
V I C T O R I A A U G U S T O R U M . V i c t o r y seated t o
the r i g h t , p o i n t i n g t o the i n s c r i p t i o n o n a shield
supported
Bust o f emperor
w i t h beaded
diadem.
Rev. same legend and t y p e as before. I n exergue
by cupid V O T
V/MULT
X.
RIC,
S M N E . RIC, v o l . 9, p. 250, no. 2(a).
8. 83.AM.224.16. Solidus i n g o o d c o n d i t i o n , issued
in Nicomedia A . D .
and t y p e as before. Rev. same legend and t y p e as
before. I n exergue S M N E . RIC,
v o l . 9, p. 250,
no. 2(a).
9. 83.AM.224.10. Solidus i n g o o d c o n d i t i o n , issued
v o l . 8, p. 513, no. 2g.
364-367. O b v . same legend
Julianus
II ( A . D . 361-363)
before. I n exergue S M N E . RIC,
2. 83.AM.224.1a (figs. 24h, i ) . S e t t i n g o n the left o f
the central ornament: Solidus i n perfect c o n d i t i o n ,
undated. Issued i n A n t i o c h . O b v . F L C L I U L I A NUS
PP
A U G . B u s t o f emperor w i t h
pearled
diadem, cuirass, and p a l u d a m e n t u m t o the r i g h t .
v o l . 9, p. 250,
no. 2(a).
10. 8 6 . A M . 531. Solidus, s l i g h t l y w o r n , issued i n N i c omedia A . D . 364-367. O b v . same legend and t y p e
as before. Rev. same legend and t y p e as before. I n
exergue S M N I . RIC, v o l . 9, p. 250, no. 2(a).
Rev. V I R T U S E X E R C I - T U S R O M A N O R U M .
E m p e r o r w i t h captive and t r o p a i o n t o the r i g h t .
I n exergue A N T E . RIC, v o l . 8, p. 530, no. 195.
c o n d i t i o n , issued i n S i r m i u m A . D . 361-363. O b v .
CL
IULIANUS
PP
A U G . Same t y p e
S I R M between
star and w r e a t h .
before. I n exergue S M N M . RIC,
v o l . 9, p. 250,
no. 2(a).
as
before. Rev. same legend and t y p e as before. I n
exergue
3. 83.AM.224.14 (figs. 24J, k ) . Solidus i n v e r y g o o d
FL
11. 83.AM.224.4a. Solidus i n g o o d c o n d i t i o n , issued
RIC,
12. 8 3 . A M . 2 2 4 . 9 .
Solidus
in
excellent
issued i n N i c o m e d i a A . D .
condition,
364-367. O b v . same
legend as before. B u s t o f e m p e r o r w i t h
v o l . 8, p. 391, no. 95.
rosette
d i a d e m . Rev. same legend and t y p e as before. I n
Valentinianus I ( A . D . 364-375)
4. 83.AM.224.17.
exergue S M N S . RIC, v o l . 9, p. 250, no. 2(b).
Solidus i n v e r y g o o d c o n d i t i o n ,
Valens ( A . D . 364-378)
issued i n A n t i o c h A . D . 364-367. O b v . D N V A L E N T I N I - A N U S PF A U G . B u s t o f e m p e r o r w i t h
beaded diadem, cuirass, and p a l u d a m e n t u m t o the
right. Rev. R E S T I T U T O R R E I P U B L I C A E . Stand
i n g e m p e r o r w i t h v e x i l l u m and c r o w n i n g V i c
tory. I n exergue
ANTA.
RIC,
v o l . 9, p. 272,
no. 2(a).
13. 83.AM.224.5a. Solidus i n g o o d c o n d i t i o n , issued
in Antioch A.D.
AUG.
cuirass,
Bust
364-367. O b v . D N
o f emperor
with
and p a l u d a m e n t u m
RESTITUTOR
REI
beaded
VALENS
diadem,
to the r i g h t .
PUBLICAE.
Standing
e m p e r o r w i t h v e x i l l u m and c r o w n i n g V i c t o r y . I n
exergue A N T . RIC, v o l . 9, p. 272, no. 2(d).
5. 83.AM.224.6a (figs. 24I, m , left). Solidus i n g o o d
Rev.
134 Deppert-Lippitz
14. 83.AM.224.13. Solidus, w o r n , issued i n A n t i o c h
A.D.
364-367.
Obv.
same legend and t y p e
before. Rev. same legend and t y p e as before.
22. 83.AM.224.12. Solidus i n g o o d c o n d i t i o n , issued i n
as
Thessalonike A . D . 364-367. O b v . D N
RIC,
VALEN-S
PF A U G . B u s t o f e m p e r o r w i t h beaded d i a d e m ,
v o l . 9, p. 272, no. 2(d).
cuirass,
VICTORIA
15. 8 3 . A M . 2 2 4 . 5 b . Solidus i n g o o d c o n d i t i o n , issued
AUGG.
t o the r i g h t .
T w o emperors
i n A n t i o c h A . D . 364-367. O b v . same legend and
facing,
t y p e as before.
exergue S M T E S . RIC, v o l . 9, p. 174, no. 4 ( b ) .
Rev. same legend and t y p e as
before. I n exergue A N T H .
RIC,
v o l . 9, p. 272,
h o l d i n g a facing V i c t o r y
Rev.
enthroned
o n globe. I n
Theodosius I ( A . D . 379-395)
no. 2(d).
23. 8 3 . A M . 2 2 4 . 6 b (figs. 25I, m , r i g h t ) . Solidus i n g o o d
16. 8 3 . A M . 2 2 4 . i b (figs. 2 4 η , ο ) . S e t t i n g o n the r i g h t o f
condition,
the central o r n a m e n t : Solidus i n perfect c o n d i
tion.
Issued
in
Constantinople
issued i n A q u i l e i a i n A . D .
383-388.
O b v . D N T H E O D O - S I U S PF A U G . B u s t o f
A . D . 364-367.
e m p e r o r w i t h beaded diadem, cuirass, and p a l u
O b v . D N V A L E N S PF A U G . B u s t o f e m p e r o r
damentum
w i t h rosette d i a d e m , cuirass, and p a l u d a m e n t u m
to
the
right.
Rev.
VICTOR-IA
A U G G . T w o emperors e n t h r o n e d facing, together
to the r i g h t . Rev. R E S T I T U T O R R E I P U B L I -
h o l d i n g globe. B e t w e e n t h e m facing h a l f f i g u r e o f
C A E . Standing emperor w i t h v e x i l l u m and c r o w n
V i c t o r y and p a l m branch. I n exergue C O M , i n
i n g V i c t o r y . I n exergue C O N S b e t w e e n star and
field A - Q . RIG, v o l . 9, p. 103, no. 40(b).
w r e a t h . RIC, v o l . 9, p. 210, no. 3(d).
17. 83.AM.224.11. Solidus i n g o o d c o n d i t i o n , issued i n
N i c o m e d i a A . D . 367-375. O b v . D N V A L E N S PF
It is t e m p t i n g t o speculate about the a c c u m u l a
A U G . B u s t o f e m p e r o r w e a r i n g beaded d i a d e m
t i o n o f the coins used for the belt, a l t h o u g h i t is h a r d l y
and i m p e r i a l m a n t l e and h o l d i n g mappa and short
possible
scepter to the left. Rev. V O T A P U - B L I C A . T w o
selected pieces o r w h e t h e r the g o l d s m i t h chose t h e m
t o decide
whether
they
were
deliberately
emperors i n consular regalia, n i m b a t e , e n t h r o n e d
at r a n d o m . C o i n s used as a decorative device were
facing, each h o l d i n g mappa and short scepter. I n
p o p u l a r f r o m the t h i r d c e n t u r y A . D . o n w a r d .
exergue S Ν Ε separated b y k n e e l i n g captives.
were m a i n l y m o u n t e d as pendants, b u t also inserted i n
RIC,
bracelets or finger rings. T h e coins used here are s o l i d i
v o l . 9, p. 254, no. 16(b).
18. 8 3 . A M . 2 2 4 . 8 . Solidus i n g o o d c o n d i t i o n , issued i n
Nicomedia A . D .
before.
cuirass,
364-367. O b v . same legend as
Bust o f emperor
w i t h beaded
RESTITUTOR
diadem,
to the r i g h t .
REIPUBLICAE.
Standing
Rev.
em
1 1 6
They
w i t h a w e i g h t each o f about 4.54 g. For everyday p u r
poses g o l d was, according t o n u m i s m a t i c evidence,
t o o valuable. H o w e v e r , i t played a v e r y i m p o r t a n t role
i n b u y i n g o f f the h o s t i l i t y o f nations and tribes that
pressed o n the frontiers o f the R o m a n E m p i r e ,
1 1 7
as
peror w i t h v e x i l l u m and c r o w n i n g V i c t o r y . I n ex
donations, d i s t r i b u t e d r e g u l a r l y t o the army, and as
ergue S M N E . RIC, v o l . 9, p. 250, no. 2(d).
casual tokens o f i m p e r i a l favor and generosity, offered
19. 8 3 . A M . 2 2 4 . 3 . S e t t i n g beside h o o k . S l i g h t l y w o r n
t o h i g h g o v e r n m e n t officials.
solidus, issued i n N i c o m e d i a A . D . 364-367. O b v .
T h e r e is one solidus w i t h the name o f Constans
same legend and t y p e as before. Rev. same legend
(no. 1) and t w o issued b y Julianus (nos. 2, 3). T h e
and t y p e as before. I n exergue S M N I . RIC, v o l . 9,
majority,
p. 251, no. 2(d).
w i t h n i n e coins (nos. 4-12) and Valens w i t h ten pieces
20. 8 3 . A M . 2 2 4 . 7 .
Solidus
i n very
issued i n N i c o m e d i a A . D .
good condition,
364-367. O b v . same
legend and t y p e as before. Rev. same legend and
t y p e as before. I n exergue S M N M . RIC,
v o l . 9,
p. 250, no. 2(d).
is represented
b y Valentinianus
(nos. 13-22). T h e single solidus b y Theodosius repre
sents a t e r m i n u s post quern i n the p e n u l t i m a t e decade
of
the
fourth
century
A . D . (no.
23).
Constans
( A . D . 337-350) was the youngest o f the three sons o f
C o n s t a n t i n e the Great. Julian, a n e p h e w o f C o n s t a n t i n e the Great, best k n o w n for his a t t e m p t e d
2 1 . 83.AM.224.15. Solidus i n g o o d c o n d i t i o n , issued
however,
revi
val o f paganism, became e m p e r o r i n A . D . 360. Flavius
Valentinianus, a senior a r m y officer, was p r o c l a i m e d
e m p e r o r i n A . D . 364 and t o o k over g o v e r n m e n t o f the
before. I n exergue S M N M . RIC,
West. A f t e r spending m o s t o f his r e i g n defending the
no. 2(d).
v o l . 9, p. 250,
n o r t h e r n frontier, he d i e d i n A . D . 375. H i s y o u n g e r
135
brother, Flavius Valens, was appointed co-emperor i n
any o b v i o u s traces. I n any case, w i t h o u t g o i n g i n t o
364 and r u l e d the Eastern provinces o f the e m p i r e for
speculation, w e can assume a date for the c o i n belt i n
fourteen years f r o m his capital o f Constantinople. H i s
the last three decades o f the f o u r t h c e n t u r y A . D .
death, o n A u g u s t 9, 378, occurred i n one o f the great
est
military
catastrophes ever
suffered
by
Roman
C o i n belts
are n o t exactly c o m m o n i n Late
R o m a n and E a r l y B y z a n t i n e j e w e l r y , and o f all pieces
armies, the battle o f A d r i a n o p l e , i n w h i c h the Goths
or fragments preserved, this belt seems to be the ear
annihilated a p o w e r f u l i m p e r i a l a r m y under the c o m
liest as w e l l as the m o s t magnificent o n e .
m a n d o f the emperor himself. Flavius Theodosius was
m e n t i n the Walters A r t G a l l e r y consists o f a g o l d
118
A frag
379,
m e d a l l i o n o f Constantius I I ( A . D . 337-361) m o u n t e d
about five m o n t h s after the death o f Valens. H e was
i n an o p e n w o r k frame w i t h three tassels, a m o u n t e d
elevated t o the vacant Eastern t h r o n e i n A . D .
one o f the m o s t competent
emperors
o f the Late
R o m a n p e r i o d and the last ruler t o exercise effective
aureus o f Faustina I , and part o f a q u i n t u p l e l i n k strap,
j o i n e d by h i n g e s .
119
A framed m e d a l l i o n i n the de
a u t h o r i t y over the entire empire. H i s early death i n
C l e r c q collection, fitted w i t h three pendant chains and
A . D . 395 marks a t u r n i n g p o i n t i n Late R o m a n history.
hinges, p r o b a b l y was the central o r n a m e n t o f a s i m i l a r
A solidus w i t h his name is o f particular interest i n this
coin belt.
context, for he was m a r r i e d t o A e l i a Flacilla,
the
m i g h t be a b i t t o o late. T h e magnificent c o i n g i r d l e
empress whose p o r t r a i t is presumably represented o n
f r o m the Lambousa treasure, composed o f consular
120
Its generally accepted s i x t h - c e n t u r y date
medallions and solidi r a n g i n g f r o m Theodosius I I t o
the circular pendant.
O f the m i n t s , A n t i o c h is represented w i t h seven
coins, C o n s t a n t i n o p l e w i t h t w o , S i r m i u m w i t h one,
M a u r i c e Tiberius, o r i g i n a t e d i n a B y z a n t i n e w o r k s h o p
o f the late s i x t h or v e r y early seventh c e n t u r y .
121
The
Thessalonike w i t h one, N i c o m e d i a w i t h eleven, and
single coins and medallions are m o u n t e d i n p l a i n
A q u i l e i a w i t h one. T h i s suggests an a c c u m u l a t i o n o f
frames, w h i c h are, n o t u n l i k e the empress pendant
the coins i n the eastern part o f the R o m a n E m p i r e and,
f r o m the G e t t y hoard, surrounded by a beaded border.
w i t h i n certain l i m i t s , also a provenance o f the belt
Closely affiliated t o the c o i n belts t h o u g h f o r m i n g a
f r o m an eastern w o r k s h o p . O f the t w o coins o f the
particular g r o u p are E a r l y B y z a n t i n e marriage belts,
emperor Julianus, one (no. 2), a p a r t i c u l a r l y fine piece
one i n D u m b a r t o n O a k s ,
123
122
another i n the de C l e r c q
i n pristine c o n d i t i o n , is o n one side o f the central
collection.
C o m p a r a b l e i n concept, they are, h o w
ornament. Its opposite is a solidus o f Valens (no. 16),
ever, made o f m o l d e d plaques and n o t o f coins.
an equally fine piece. D i d the o w n e r o f the belt have a
T h e R o m a n cingulum or belt is an i m p o r t a n t part
special reason for p u t t i n g these t w o pieces i n such
o f the official attire o f the emperor as w e l l as o f the
p r o m i n e n t places? I t has been p o i n t e d o u t that none o f
simple s o l d i e r .
the objects i n the hoard reveals any influence o f C h r i s
precious bejeweled belts seems t o have been an i m p e
tianity. I f the belt was made soon after A . D . 383-388—
rial p r i v i l e g e .
and considering the c o m p o s i t i o n o f the coins, there is
issued i n A . D . 338 he and his brothers Constantine I I
124
125
I n the f o u r t h c e n t u r y A . D . w e a r i n g
O n silver medallions o f Constans
n o reason w h y this should n o t be so—the o w n e r p r o b
and Constantius are represented i n their official c o u r t
ably w o u l d n o t o n l y have been w e l l aware o f E m p e r o r
dress, w e a r i n g belts that seem t o consist o f circular
Julianus's support o f paganism, b u t m u s t have chosen
elements, sometimes apparently i n square s e t t i n g s .
his c o i n deliberately d u r i n g a p e r i o d w h e n paganism
These may be c o i n belts, constructed l i k e the one i n
was suppressed t h r o u g h harsh legislation and repres
the G e t t y hoard. There is, however, one considerable
126
sive actions. W i t h all due precaution, this seems t o be
difference between the belts o n representations o f Late
an argument i n favor o f pagan ownership.
R o m a n emperors and o u r piece. D e p i c t i o n s o f belts
T h e p r o b l e m is, however, even m o r e intricate.
w o r n by m e n show that they are fastened w i t h buckles,
T h e m a j o r i t y o f the coins was accumulated i n the s i x
and none has a decorative circular central ornament.
ties o f the f o u r t h century. W i t h one exception, the
I n fact, the central o r n a m e n t seems t o be restricted t o
solidus n u m b e r 17, dated to A . D . 367-375, none o f the
belts w o r n by w o m e n . O n the famous d i p t y c h i n
than
M o n z a dated t o A . D . 400, Serena, daughter o f the
A . D . 364-367. T h e n there is a gap o f nearly t w e n t y
coins o f Valentinianus I and Valens is later
emperor H o n o r i u s and w i f e o f the consul and magister
years, f o l l o w e d b y the single solidus o f Theodosius,
militium
issued A . D . 385-388. C a n this piece be a later a d d i t i o n ,
large centerpiece
used t o replace an earlier coin? A competent
gold
s m i t h w o u l d have been able t o do this w i t h o u t leaving
Stilicho, is w e a r i n g a bejeweled girdle, the
and
separate, i n l a i d
w h i c h are s i m i l a r t o o u r b e l t .
127
elements
of
A p p a r e n t l y this belt
was also fastened at the back, the centerpiece h a v i n g a
136 Deppert-Lippitz
solely o r n a m e n t a l f u n c t i o n . Presumably Serena, l i k e
o n l y b y the a c t i v i t y o f a n u m b e r
her husband and son, is represented i n official attire,
w o r k s h o p s i n different parts o f the empire. F u r t h e r
the belt b e i n g part o f a c o u r t dress. S i m i l a r l y splendid
more, i n the East and northeast there were artists w h o
of
independent
belts are s h o w n o n mosaics i n the c h u r c h o f Santa
c o m b i n e d classical and barbaric traditions, whereas i n
M a r i a M a g g i o r e i n Rome, dated t o the first h a l f o f the
Western E u r o p e G e r m a n i c craftsmen i m i t a t e d Late
fifth
probably
Roman
128
various semibarbaric styles, exemplified b y one o f the
century A . D . ,
and these, too, were
i n s p i r e d b y representations o f f o r m a l c l o t h e s .
as w e l l
as E a r l y B y z a n t i n e pieces.
These
G e t t y bracelets, and t h e i r relations t o the b i g centers
are n o t yet clearly defined.
CONCLUSION
A l l objects discussed here have suggested comparisons
w i t h R o m a n material o f the t h i r d and f o u r t h centuries
A . D . Some, such as the t w o pendants, already had a
h i s t o r y w h e n they were b u r i e d ; others seem t o have
been fairly new. T h e cameo pendant,
originally a
t h i r d - c e n t u r y b r o o c h , appears t o be the oldest object,
the o p e n w o r k bracelet w i t h h u n t i n g scenes the latest
one. T h e coins used for the belt offer evidence for a
t e r m i n u s post quern o f A . D . 385-388, w h i c h is sup
p o r t e d b y the date o f the i m p e r i a l p o r t r a i t o n the c i r
cular m e d a l l i o n . H o w e v e r , i t has t o be taken i n t o
consideration that the pendant
"embellished" w i t h
has been reset and
encrustation.
T h e question o f
w h e n this was done remains open. A somewhat later
concealment o f the h o a r d cannot be excluded. Parallels
for the necklaces are f o u n d i n late f o u r t h - to early
fifth-century
contexts.
T h e closest analogy for the
o p e n w o r k bracelet w i t h h u n t i n g scenes is a bracelet
f r o m the so-called Desana hoard. A l l this i m p l i e s an
early
fifth-century
date for the b u r i a l o f the hoard.
T h e o d d m i x t u r e o f earlier and later types is
certainly n o t coincidental. I t reflects the assembling o f
w e a l t h over a longer p e r i o d , o f b r i n g i n g together pre
cious objects i n the course o f t i m e , possibly even o f
l o o t i n g . I n this respect, the G e t t y h o a r d recalls t o a
certain degree the Desana group, the h o a r d f r o m Regg i o E m i l i a , the finds f r o m A p a h i d a ,
from
hoard
129
or the treasure
M a l a i a Pereschepina. A t the same t i m e ,
shares an
overall s i m i l a r i t y
with
the
the
Late
R o m a n treasures f r o m Tenes, T h e t f o r d , and Carthage,
t h o u g h none o f t h e m provides any s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d
parallels for any o f the objects. I t w o u l d , however, be
pointless t o seek exact c o r r e l a t i o n between the dif
ferent hoards as each appears t o be unique. I n fact, the
t o t a l difference b e t w e e n the j e w e l r y i n all hoards m e n
t i o n e d above s t r i k i n g l y illustrates the diversity i n the
decorative arts o f Late A n t i q u i t y .
Contemporary
scholarship
Unfortunately
the
provenance
o f the
Getty
hoard remains u n k n o w n . H o w e v e r , the fact that all
coins b u t one have been issued i n eastern m i n t s cannot
be i g n o r e d . I n a d d i t i o n , the coins are n o t the o n l y
i n d i c a t i o n o f an eastern provenance. T h e lavish a t t i
tude t o w a r d colored inlays, the cloisonne technique,
and the particular w a y o f securing pearls, all p o i n t t o
an Eastern o r i g i n . T h e p o l y c h r o m e style, m a r k e d by
the encrusting o f g o l d w i t h precious and semiprecious
stones or colored glass, had its roots i n the E a s t .
130
I t is
n o t w i t h o u t significance that the j e w e l r y i n the Tenes
hoard, w h i c h p r o b a b l y o r i g i n a t e d i n a Western w o r k
shop, is e n t i r e l y restricted t o g o l d w o r k .
W i t h this f r a m e w o r k i n m i n d , one m a y t u r n t o
the historical b a c k g r o u n d , w h i c h has t o be taken i n t o
account i n any attempt t o date the h o a r d .
131
The inter
m e n t o f w e a l t h is usually d i r e c t l y related t o v i o l e n t
events, and i n the eastern part o f the R o m a n E m p i r e ,
p a r t i c u l a r l y i n the Balkans, there was n o shortage o f
these d u r i n g the last decades o f the f o u r t h and the
early
fifth
centuries. M e n a c i n g barbarian invasions;
i n f i l t r a t i o n s and relentless m i g r a t i o n s ; a constant c o n
flict
w i t h the Persians, w h o threatened
the eastern
border; differences between the Eastern and the West
ern empires; the u p r i s i n g o f the usurpers
Magnus
M a x i m u s , A . D . 383-388, and Eugenius, A . D . 392-394;
i n t e r i o r crises; quarrels between different C h r i s t i a n
groups; and harsh repression o f paganism all created a
continuous situation o f unease and insecurity.
T h e far-reaching p o l i t i c a l , social, and religious
changes that o v e r t o o k the R o m a n w o r l d i n the f o u r t h
and fifth centuries A . D . make i t one o f the m o s t excit
i n g periods i n ancient history. T h e repercussions o f
this p e r i o d persisted t o the end o f the ancient w o r l d
and led t o w a r d the m a k i n g o f the m o d e r n
world.
C o n t i n u i t y o f styles f r o m one p e r i o d t o the next can
best be seen i n crafts, the products o f w h i c h reached a
w i d e r circle than m o n u m e n t a l art. I n j e w e l r y , the
tends
to
attribute
m o s t o f the Late A n t i q u e and E a r l y B y z a n t i n e j e w e l r y
t o w o r k s h o p s i n C o n s t a n t i n o p l e or Rome. H o w e v e r ,
the contrasts are so great that they can be explained
B y z a n t i n e g o l d s m i t h was able t o draw, at
first
or
second hand, o n types and m o t i f s that were already
f a m i l i a r i n the Late R o m a n p e r i o d . T h e survival o f
traditions c o m b i n e d w i t h the development o f n e w
ideas so characteristic o f the Late A n t i q u e p e r i o d is
w e l l reflected by the G e t t y hoard.
Not
surprisingly, g i v e n the
splendor
o f Late
R o m a n j e w e l r y , i t is the aesthetic aspect o f the h o a r d
that first attracts a t t e n t i o n ; however, far m o r e i m p o r
tant is its archaeological value.
Frankfurt am M a i n
NOTES
Abbreviations:
Age of Spirituality
K. Weitzman, ed., Age of Spiritual
ity: Late Antique and Early Christian
Art, Third to Seventh Century, exh.
cat., The Metropolitan Museum of
Art, New York, November 1977February 1978 (New York, 1979).
Germanen, Hunnen und Awaren W. Menghin, ed., Germanen, Hun
nen und Awaren:
Schätze der
Völkerwanderungszeit,
exh. cat.,
Germanisches Nationalmuseum,
Nürnberg, and Museum für Vorund Frühgeschichte der Stadt
Frankfurt am Main, December
1987-May 1988 (Nürnberg, 1987).
R. Harhoiu, The Treasure from
Harhoiu, Pietroasa
Pietroasa, Romania. BAR, suppl.
ser. 24 (Oxford, 1977).
C. Lepage, "Les Bracelets de luxe
Lepage, "Bracelets"
romains et byzantins du He au Vie
siecle: Etude de la forme et de la
structure," CahArch 21 (1971),
pp. 1-25.
RIC
Η. Mattingly, C. Η. V. Suther
land, and R. A. G. Carson, eds.,
The Roman Imperial Coinage, vol. 8
(London, 1967), vol. 9 (London,
1968).
Μ. C. Ross, Jewelry, Enamels, and
Ross, DO
Art of the Migration Period, Cata
logue of the Byzantine and Early
Mediaeval Antiquities in the Dum
barton Oaks Collection, vol. 2
(Washington, D.C., 1965).
Wealth of the Roman World
J. C. P. Kent and K. S. Painter,
Wealth of the Roman World: A . D .
300-700, exh. cat., The British
Museum, London, 1977 (London,
1977)·
i . GettyMusJ 12 (1984), Acquisitions 1983, p. 257, no. 142. I wish
to acknowledge my gratitude to Marion True, who was the
first to draw my attention to this hoard; to Arthur Houghton,
who encouraged its publication; and to Marit Jentoft-Nilsen,
who generously furnished information. For valuable advice
and stimulating suggestions I am very much indebted to Her
bert A. Cahn. Helmut Schubert helped to clarify numismatic
questions. In all questions concerning goldsmithing methods I
could rely on D. J. Content. Ph. Grierson has called my atten
tion to coin belts. Jeffrey Spier sent me an impression of the
137
portrait engraved on one of the finger rings. Denise Clarke
kindly read the manuscript. To all of them I wish to express
my gratitude.
2. Ο. M . Dalton, Catalogue of Early Christian Antiquities and
Objects from the Christian East in the Department of British and
Mediaeval Antiquities and Ethnography of the British Museum
(London, 1901), pp. 38-39, nos. 242-248; Jewellery through 7000
Years, exh. cat., London, The British Museum, 1976 (London,
1976), p. 125, no. 186. For the silver plate from this hoard, cf.
Wealth of the Roman World, pp. 50-52.
3. J. Heurgon, Le Tresor de Jenes (Paris, 1958).
4. C. Johns and T. Potter, The Thetford Treasure (London, 1983).
5. J. Ogden, Jewellery of the Ancient World (London, 1982),
pp. 48-49·
6. N . Degrassi, "Trivolzio (Pavia): Rinvenimento di un tesoretto," NSc 7. ser. 2 (1941), pp. 303-331; A. Peroni, Oreficerie di
Pavia (Spoleto, 1967), nos. 62-64, pis. 12-13.
7. M . Degani, 77 tesoro romano barbarico di Reggio Emilia (Florence,
1959), p. 38, pi. 18.
8. B. Filow, "Le tresor romain de Nicolaevo," BIABulg 4 (1914),
p. 33, fig. 8; cf. W. Rudolph and E. Rudolph, Ancient Jewelry
from the Collection of Burton Y Berry, Indiana University Art
Museum (Bloomington, 1973), pp. 132-133, no. i n .
9. Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Antikensammlung, V I I
732. Α. Bernhard-Walcher, in: Severin zwischen Römerzeit und
Völkerwanderung, Ausstellung des Landes Oberösterreich, exh.
cat., Stadtmuseum Enss, April 1982—October 1982 (Linz,
1982), pp. 496-497, no. 5/62, pi. 37; Germanen, Hunnen und
Awaren, p. 340, no. 29, pl. 43.
10. Ross, DO, pls. xii.6B, xvm.11; Dalton (above, note 2), p. 46,
no. 282; cf. Age of Spirituality, p. 312, no. 286.
11. M . Tatic-Duric, "Joyaux en or de Visnjica," Zbornik Radova
Narodnog Muzeja (Recueil du Musee National Beograd) 4
(1964), pp. 185-195, pis. i-x.
12. Cf. the so-called pectoral from Cluj-Someseni, K. Horedt and
D. Protase, "Ein völkerwanderungszeitlicher Schatzfund aus
Cluj-Someseni," Germania 48 (1970), pp. 85-98, pl. 21, fig. 3;
S. Burda, Tezaure de aur din Romania (Bucharest, 1979), pl. 94,
no. 54.
13. Ross, DO, pp. 48-50, no. 50; Dalton (above, note 2), pp. 3233, no. 207; see also F. H . Marshall, Catalogue of the Finger
Rings, Greek, Etruscan and Roman, in the Departments of Antiq
uities, British Museum (London, 1907), no. 208.
14. For the crowning victories, cf. the reverse of the mounted gold
medallion of Constantius II in Baltimore, A. Garside, ed.,
Jewelry, Ancient to Modern, Baltimore, The Walters Art Gallery,
1979, pp. 119-120, no. 330; the emperor pendant in Dumbarton
Oaks, Ross, DO, pl. 92.179A; and the gold medallion in the de
Clercq collection, E. Coche de la Ferte, Antique Jewellery from
the Second to the Eighth Century (Bern, 1962), pl. 13.
15. R. Delbrueck, Spätantike Kaiserportraits (Berlin, 1933), pl. 23;
cf. the solidus issued in A . D . 383 in Constantinople, Wealth of
the Roman World, p. 172, no. 502.
16. Similar traits can be found on a "Flacilla type" marble head in
Hamburg, Delbrueck (above, note 15), pl. 99. Very different
from the coin portraits is the so-called Aelia Flacilla statuette
in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Age of Spirituality, pp. 26-27,
no. 20; Delbrueck (above, note 15), pis. 163-165; for the iden
tification of female portraits of the fourth century A . D . in
general, see also A. F. de Aviles, "La cabeza femenil, constantiniana, de Palencia," ArchEspArq 20 (1947), pp. 83-95,
esp. p. 91,fig.4.
17. W. Hagen, "Kaiserzeitliche Gagatarbeiten aus dem rhei
nischen Germanien," Bonnjbb 141 (1937), pp. 128-129, pl- 30.E
20-21.
18. Heurgon (above, note 3), pp. 63-73, pl. i.33~34-
138
Depper t-L ipp it ζ
ig. Ο. Neverov, Antique Cameos in the Hermitage Collection
(Leningrad, 1971), pp. 48, 95, fig. 107.
20. E. Coche de la Ferte, Le Camee de Rothschild: Un chef d'oeuvre
du IVe siede apres J.C. (Paris, 1957).
21. Jewelry, Ancient to Modern (above, note 14), no. 421. For
a detailed study, see Ph. Verdier, "Notes sur trois bijoux
d'or byzantins de Walters Art Gallery," CahArch 11 (i960),
pp. 121-129.
22. Ross, DO, p. 117, no. 166A.
23. A. R. Noll, Vom Altertum zum Mittelalter: Führer durch das
Kunsthistorische Museum (Vienna, 1974), p. 72, fig. 51; Ger
manen, Hunnen und Awaren, p. 318, pl. 44.
24. Germanen, Hunnen und Awaren, pp. 342-344, pl. 46; for related
material, see Harhoiu, Pietroasa, pp. 25-28, fig. 13.
25. For this type of cloisonne technique, cf. B. Arrhenius, Merowingian Garnet Jewellery (Stockholm, 1985), pp. 77-95.
26. For keeled garnets, cf. Arrhenius (above, note 25), pp. 43-44.
27. D. Buckton, "The Beauty of Holiness: Opus interrasile from a
Late Antique Workshop," Jewellery Studies 1 (1983/1984),
pp. 15-19.
28. I am grateful to D. J. Content for sharing his vast knowledge
and experience in all questions concerning the technical pro
cess of opus interrasile.
29. A detailed study by the author on opus interrasile-decorzted
jewelry will be published by the Römisch-Germanisches
Zentralmuseum, Mainz.
30. W—R. Megow, Kameen von Augustus bis Alexander Severus
(Berlin, 1987), pp. 200-201, no. A81.
31. Megow (above, note 30), pp. 239-240, no. A143, pl. 48.11.
32. A. Dimitrova, "Camees ä portrait de femmes de la premiere
moitie du I I I s. de n.e.," Archaeologija (Sofia) 11.2 (1969),
pp. 43-50; A. Dimitrova-Milcheva, "Die Gemmen und
Kameen vom unteren Donaulimes in Bulgarien: Studien zu
den Militärgrenzen Roms," Bonnjbb, Beiheft 38 (1977),
pp. 284-287; Α. Dimitrova-Milcheva, Antique Engraved Gems
and Cameos in the National Archaeological Museum in Sofia (Sofia,
1981), nos. 295-301; Megow (above, note 30), pis. 46-51.
33. K. Wessel, "Römische Frauenfrisuren," A A 61.2 (1946/1947),
pp. 67-68, fig. 3.
34. A. Krug, "Antike Gemmen im Römisch-Germanischen
Museum Köln," BerRGK 61 (1980), p. 187, no. 72, pl. 76;
Megow (above, note 30), p. 309, no. E7, pl. 50.8.
35. Paris, Hotel Drouot, Catalogue des objets antiques et du moyenage: Collection de Μ. Guilhou (A. Sambon) (March 14-15, 1905),
no. 168; Paris, Hotel Drouot, Collection d'orfevrerie antique
(June 13, 1934), no. 53, pl. III.
36. W Oberleitner, Geschnittene Steine: Die Prunkkameen der
Wiener Antikensammlung (Vienna, 1985), p. 66, fig. 51.
37. Hägen (above, note 17), pl. 31.
38. G. Becatti, Oreficerie antiche (Rome, 1955), pl. 148, no. 525.
39. A. Comarmond, Description de Vecrin d'une dame romaine trouve
ä Lyon en 1841 (Paris and Lyons, 1844), pl. 2.
40. Germanen, Hunnen und Awaren, p. 193, pl. 14.
41. Cf. above, note 23.
42. A. Javakhishvili and G. Abramishvili, Jewellery and Metalwork
in the Museums of Georgia (Leningrad, 1986), figs. 5id, 56. Cf.
also an earring, said to come from Egypt, with emerald pen
dants and similar circlets: M . Ruxer and J. Kubczak,
"Bijouterie antique de l'ancienne collection Czartoryski,"
ArcheologiaWar 25 (1974), pp. 73-74, no. 28, fig. 21; Germanen,
Hunnen und Awaren, pl. 21; Ζ. Vinski, "Arheoloski spomenici
velike seobe naroda u Srijemu," Situla 2 (1957), p. 30,
pl. 20.68.
43. E. Coche de la Ferte, "Bijoux de Chio, de Crete, de Salonique," in P. Amandry, ed., Collection H. Stathatos: Les objets
byzantins etpostbyzantins (Strasbourg, 1957), pp. i3ff, pl. 1. M .
Schulze, "Frühmittelalterliche Kettenohrringe," ArchKorrBl 14
(1984) , pp. 325-335·
44. W. A. v. Jenny and W. F. Volbach, Germanischer Schmuck
(Berlin, 1933), pl. 26.
45. Cf. H . Mötefindt, "Zur Geschichte der Löttechnik in vorund frühgeschichtlicher Zeit: 5. Verwendung der Löttechnik
bei der Herstellung von Schrauben," Bonnjbb 123 (1916),
pp. 151-162. See also B. Arrhenius, "Die Schraube als Sta
tussymbol," Frankfurter Beiträge zur Mittelalter Archäologie,
vol. 2 (1990), pp. 13-16.
46. J. Hampel, Die Altertümer des frühen Mittelalters in Ungarn
(Braunschweig, 1905), vol. 1, pp. 416, 805; vol. 2, pp. 2-3;
vol. 3, pl. 2.2.
47. J. Werner, Der Grabfund von Malaia Pereschepina und Kuvrat,
Kagan der Bulgaren (Munich, 1984), pl. 25.
48. Mötefindt (above, note 45), pp. 151-162; Ε. Keller, Die
spätrömischen Grabfunde in Südbayern (Munich, 1971), p. 52.
49. Age of Spirituality, p. 307, no. 280.
50. T. Hackens and R. Winkes, eds., Gold Jewelry (Louvain, 1983),
pp. I 3 3 f £ , no. 36; L. Berge and K. Alexander, "Ancient Gold
Work and Jewelry from Chicago Collections," AncW 11.1-2
(1985) , p. 11, no. 24.
51. Lepage, "Bracelets," pp. 5-12; Jewelry, Ancient to Modern
(above, note 14), p. 151, no. 423; B. Deppert-Lippitz, "Die
Bedeutung der palmyrenischen Grabreliefs für die Kenntnis
römischen Schmucks," Linzer Archäologische Forschungen 16
(1987), pp. 190-191, % 13·
52. H. Hoffmann, Ten Centuries that Shaped the West, exh. cat.,
Institute for the Arts, Rice University, and other institutions,
1970, pp. 471-472.
53. Μ. E. Marien, LEmpreinte de Rome (Brussels, 1980), p. 338,
fig. 246.
54. Filow (above, note 8), pl. 4.4.; I . Wenedikow and I . Marasow,
Gold der Thraker, exh. cat., Römisch-Germanisches Museum,
Cologne, and other institutions, October 1979-June 1980
(Mainz, 1979), nos. 438-456.
55. A. Heron de Villefosse, Tresor de Monaco, MAntFr 4th ser., 10
(1879), p. 224.
56. Javakhishvili and Abramishvili (above, note 42), fig. 77.
57. R. Bianchi Bandinelli, Rom: Das Ende der Antike, Universum
der Kunst (Munich, 1971), fig. 243.
58. Α. Greifenhagen, Schmuckarbeiten in Edelmetall, Staatliche
Museen Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Antikenabteilung, vol. 1, Fund
gruppen (Berlin, 1970), pls. 55.7, 56; G. Eisen, Bulletin of the
City Art Museum 10 (1925), pp. 5 3 ff. Deppert-Lippitz (above,
note 51), p. 192, fig. 14.
59. Μ. C. Ross, "Jewels of Byzantium," Arts in Virginia 9.1 (1968),
fig. 16.
60. P. La Baume, Römisches Kunstgewerbe (Braunschweig, 1964),
p. 293, pl. 14; H. Hellenkemper, ed., Tresors romains—tresors
barbares, exh. cat., Passage 44 du Credit Communal de Belgique, Brussels, March-May 1979, p. 103, no. 20.
61. Cf. N . Dürr and P. Bastien, "Tresor de Solidi," Swiss
Numismatic Review 63 (1984), pp. 205-219; Buckton (above,
note 27), pp. i5f£, fig. 6; LA 5 (1968), pp. 206-207; N . Duval,
"Un grand medaillon monetaire du IVe siecle," RLouvre 23
(!973)> PP- 367-374; Age of Spirituality, p. 304, no. 276; D.
Buckton, "Byzantine Coin-Set Pendant, A . D . 324-388,"
National Art-Collections Fund Review, 1985, p. 93.
62. Lepage, "Bracelets," pp. 17-20; Age of Spirituality, pp. 316-317,
no. 292, p. 321, no. 297, pp. 322f£, nos. 299-300; K. R.
Brown, "The Mosaics of San Vitale: Evidence for the Attribution of Some Early Byzantine Jewelry to Court Workshops,"
Gesta 18.ι (1979), pp. 57-62; idem, " A Note on the Morgan
Bracelets in the Metropolitan Museum of Art," Byzantine
Studies 9.1 (1982), pp. 48-57.
63. P. Bastien and C. Metzger, Le tresor de Beaurains (Arras, 1977),
p. 170, Β 12; R. Higgins, Greek and Roman Jewellery (London,
1980), pl. 64F; Ogden (above, note 5), p. 83, color pl. 16.
64. P. La Baume, "Das Achatgefäß von Köln," Kölnjb 12 (1971),
p. 85, fig. 4.4; Tresors romains (above, note 60), p. 99, no. 18; cf.
also the finger rings from a third-century hoard from Cyprus,
R. A. Lunsingh Scheurleer, Antieke Sier, Allard Pierson Museum,
Amsterdam (Amsterdam, 1987), pp. 74-75, no. 4, and a dia
mond ring of unknown provenance, Ogden (above, note 5),
p. 155, fig. 29.
65. For the polychrome style characteristics for this Oriental and
barbarian jewelry, cf. Harhoiu, Pietroasa, pp. 19-22.
66. Age of Spirituality, p. 611; Wealth of the Roman World, p. 140;
Werner (above, note 47), pp. 18-19, pl. 23.
67. Ibid., pp. 38-43.
68. J. M . C. Toynbee and J. B. Ward-Perkins, "Peopled Scrolls: A
Hellenistic Motiv in Imperial Art," BSR 18 (1950), pp. 1-43,
pis. 1-26.
69. Μ. C. Ross, Catalogue of the Byzantine and Medieval Antiquities
in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection: Metalwork (Washington,
D C , 1962), no. 58; Age of Spirituality, nos. 76-77.
70. Dalton (above, note 2), no. 252; E. Kitzinger, Early Medieval
Art, 2nd ed. (London, 1955), p. 26; W. Volbach and M .
Hirmer, Early Christian Art (London, 1961), pl. 119; Chr.
Belting-Ihm, "Spätrömische Buckelarmringe mit Relief
dekor," JRGZM
10 (1963), p. 104, pl. 16.1; Wealth of the Roman
World, p. 27, no. 15; Age of Spirituality, p. 597, fig. 87; F. Baratte, "La plaque de ceinture du Coudray," MonPiot 61 (1977),
pp. 54-55, fig. 11.; Brown, "Morgan Bracelets" (above,
note 62), p. 57, fig. 6; Buckton (above, note 27), pp. 15-19,
figs, i , 2. Attention should be called to the fact that the fil
igreelike effect of this plaque recalls the lock of the Lipsanothek from Brescia, cf. R. Delbrueck, Probleme der
Lipsanothek von Brescia (Bonn, 1952), p. 5, pl. 8. For the hunt
ing motif rendered in niello on a gold plaque in Boston, cf. C.
C. Vermeule, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Annual Report 19711972, p. 42; C. C. Vermeule, Romans and Barbarians, exh. cat.,
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1977, p. 75, no. 107.
71. Dalton (above, note 2), pp. 39-40, pl. 4.252-255; Wealth of the
Roman World, p. 27, no. 15; M . Sommer, "Die Gürtel und
Gürtelbeschläge des 4. und 5. Jahrhunderts im römischen
Reich," Bonner Hefte zur Vorgeschichte 22 (1984), pp. 76-78,
pl. 54-9-n.
72. V. Viale, "Recenti trovamenti archeologici a Vercelli e nel Vercellese: II tesoro di Desana," Bollettino storico bibliografico subalpino 44 (1942), p. 7, figs. 19-20; Becatti (above, note 38),
no. 545; V. Bierbrauer, Die ostgotischen Grab- und Schatzfunde in
Italien (Spoleto, 1975), p. 269, pl. 17.2.
73. F. H. Marshall, Catalogue of the Jewellery, Greek, Etruscan, and
Roman, in the Departments of Antiquities, the British Museum
(London, 1911), no. 2817; Lepage, "Bracelets," p. 15, fig. 24;
Heurgon (above, note 3), pl. 26.4; Wealth of the Roman World,
p. 58, no. 11.
74. Brown 1979 (above, note 62), pp. 48-57.
75. Lepage, "Bracelets," p. 15, no. 70; Heurgon (above, note 3),
p. 48, pl. 26.2.
76. Lepage, "Bracelets," p. 15 n. 71; Heurgon (above, note 3),
p. 48; H. Schlunk, Kunst der Spätantike im Mittelmeerraum, exh.
cat., Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, 1939, no. 41, pl. 7; R. Zahn,
"Zur Sammlung F. L. v. Gans," Amtliche Berichte aus den
königlichen Kunstsammlungen 38 (1916), cols. 26-27, ßg - 9 ·
77. For a recent though not comprehensive study on Late Roman
and Early Byzantine finger rings, cf G. Vikan, "Early Chris
tian and Byzantine Rings in the Zucker Family Collection,"
s
- 1 1
J Waltos (1987), ΡΡ· 32-4378. Several finger rings from the two Italian groups repeat the
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
chased ornament in the form of heavily veined leaves found on
the Thetford rings, Johns and Potter (above, note 4), p. 80,
fig. 7, p. 82, fig. 4; Bierbrauer (above, note 72), pl. 12.8;
Degani (above, note 7), pl. 21.
Johns and Potter (above, note 4), p. 91, no. 16.
M . Henig, A Corpus of Roman Engraved Gemstones from British
Sites, 2nd ed., BAR, British Series 8 (Oxford, 1978), p. 257,
no. 581.
G. Platz-Horster, Die antiken Gemmen im Rheinischen Lan
desmuseum Bonn (Bonn, 1984), pp. 75-83.
C. Parkhurst, Melvin Gutman Collection of Ancient and Medieval
Gold. Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, Ohio, Bulletin 18
(1961), p. 205, no. 126.
Cf. a ring found in Rome, now in the Musee du Louvre,
E. Fontenay, Les Bijoux anciens et modernes (Paris, 1887), p. 38.
Johns and Potter (above, note 4), pp. 86-87, no. 10, pp. 88-91,
nos. 12-13, 15·
F. Henkel, Die römischen Fingerringe des Rheinlandes und der
benachbarten Gebiete (Berlin, 1913), no. 272.
Platz-Horster (above, note 81), p. 4, no. 41. Cf. A. Krug,
"Römische Fundgemmen 3," Germania 56 (1978), p. 493,
pl. 52.18.
Ross, DO, pp. 10-12, no. 6F, pl. 14; see also pp. 135-139,
no. 179Q, pl. 99. Cf. Rudolph and Rudolph (above, note 8),
pp. 132-133, no. inc.
Cf. above, note 24; see also Hampel (above, note 46), vol. 1,
p. 434,fig.1252.
Cf. Age of Spirituality, p. 328, no. 307.
Cf. above, note 12.
C. J. Brunner, Sassanian Stamp Seals in the Metropolitan Museum
of Art (New York, 1978), no. 21; A. Y. Borisov and V. G.
Lukonin, Sasanidskie gemmy sobraniya gosudarstvennogo ermitazha (Catalogue of the Sassanian Gems in the Hermitage
Museum) (Leningrad, 1962), nos. 7, 9, 10, 12, 14; Ph. Gignoux
and R. Gyselen, Sceaux sasanides de diverses collections privies
(Louvain, 1982), no. 20.9; Ph. Gignoux, Catalogue des sceaux,
camees et bulles sasanides de la Bibliotheque Nationale et du Musee
du Louvre (Paris, 1978), no. 3.18; P. Zazoff, Die antiken Gemmen (Munich, 1983), pl. 120.6-8; R. Gobi, Der Sassanidische
Siegelkanon (Braunschweig, 1973), pis. 5, 7a; A. D. H . Bivar,
Catalogue of the Western Asiatic Seals in the British Museum: Stamp
Seals, vol. 2, The Sassanian Dynasty (London, 1969), pl. 1.1-4.
G. Zahlhaas, Fingerringe und Gemmen: Sammlung Dr. E.
Pressma, exh. cat., Munich, Prähistorische Staatssammlung,
985, p. 53, no. 76; Basel, Münzen und Medaillen, Sonderliste
S (1980), no. 83.
Henkel (above, note 85), no. 99.
Ibid., no. 93; Trier: Kaiserresidenz und Bischofssitz, exh. cat.,
Trier, Rheinisches Landesmuseum, May—November 1984
(Mainz, 1984), p. 115, no. 33b. Cf. also the bronze ring,
Henkel (above, note 85), no. 1064.
Ross, DO, pp. 48-51, no. 50, with bibl.; M . Deloche, Etude
historique et archeologique sur les anneaux sigillaires (Paris, 1900),
p. 67; Vikan (above, note 77), pp. 33-34; E. Schlicht, "Ein
goldener Ehering des 4. Jahrhunderts von Hummeldorf, Kr.
Lingen," Germania 43 (1965), pp. 381-382.
Henig (above, note 80), no. 799.
Ibid., no. 800.
Ibid., no. 801; Wealth of the Roman World, p. 62, nos. 141-143.
Harhoiu, Pietroasa, pp. 19-22. A similar technique can be
observed on goldwork with garnet encrustation from fifthcentury A . D . finds, K. Horedt and D. Protase, "Das zweite
Fürstengrab von Apahida," Germania 50 (1972), p. 191 η. 13;
Harhoiu, Pietroasa, figs. 10.3, 11.1, 4. M . Schulze, in: Gallien in
der Spätantike, exh. cat., Mainz, Römisch-Germanisches Zen
tralmuseum, October 1980-January 1981 (Mainz, 1980),
T
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
139
140 Deppert-Lippitz
100.
101.
102.
103.
104.
105.
106.
107.
108.
109.
no.
in.
112.
113.
114.
115.
no. 297; Germanen, Hunnen und Awaren, pp. 183-184, no. 55,
pi. 13.
For the cloisonne technique, cf. Arrhenius (above, note 25),
pp. 79-80.
Age of Spirituality, pp. 261-262, no. 244.
K. S. Painter, The Water Newton Early Christian Silver (London,
1977), p. 12, nos. 5, 20.
Ross, DO, no. 166F; Age of Spirituality, p. 309, no. 283; J. Spier,
"A Byzantine Pendant in the J. Paul Getty Museum," Getty Mus] 15 (1987), p. 6, figs, ib, c; p. 7, figs. 2a, b; p. 9, fig. 4b;
p. 14, fig. 12.
Ross, DO, p. 117, no. 166A.
Cf. necklace with a pendant in the shape of a mounted solidus
of Constantius I I ( A . D . 337-361) in Paris, Bibliotheque
Nationale 154a.
Jewelry, Ancient to Modern (above, note 14), p. 142, no. 405; Age
of Spirituality, pp. 314-315, no. 289.
Deppert-Lippitz (above, note 51), p. 188, fig. 12.
W. F. Volbach, Elfenbeinarbeiten der Spätantike und des frühen
Mittelalters (Mainz, 1952), pl. 10, no. 38.
Ibid., p. 22, no. 78; Age of Spirituality, pp. 149-150, no. 127.
AA, 1904, p. 214; Marshall (above, note 73), nos. 2824, 28662877; Jewellery Through 7000 Years (above, note 2), no. 158.
Greifenhagen (above, note 58), pl. 51.2; Lepage, "Bracelets,"
pp. 16-17, fig. 27.
Cf. above, note 12.
A. M . Apakidze, Mtskheta I : Findings of the Archaeological Inves
tigation: The Artifacts Found at Armaziskhevi During the Excava
tions of 1937-1946 (Tbilisi, 1958), pis. 100.12, 13, 103.1, 12;
Javakhishvili and Abramishvili (above, note 42), pl. 54.
The author would like to thank Ifigenia Diogissiadu, an intern
in the Department of Antiquities at the Getty Museum, for
her work in sketching these graffiti. For similar graffiti on
Late Antique ornaments, see R. A. Lunsingh Scheurleer, Antieke Sier, Allard Pierson Museum (Amsterdam, 1987), p. 74,
no. 50.1; C. Metzger, "Collier, diademes ou ceintures? Ele
ments de bijoux cousus de FAntiquite Tardive," RLouvre (Feb
ruary 1980), pp. 1-5.
For a recent study on the coinage of the second half of the
fourth century A . D . , cf. Dürr and Bastien (above, note 61),
pp. 205-240.
116. Cf. M . Mowat, "De quelques objets antiques incrustes de
monnaies," MAntFr 50 (1889), pp. 321-336; R. Gadant, "Note
sur un pendentif romain en or trouve ä Autun et sur des
bijoux analogues de l'epoque romaine," Memoires de la Societe
eduenne 58 (1910), pp. 355-377; C. C. Vermeule, "Numismatics
in Antiquity," Swiss Numismatic Review 54 (1975), pp. 5-32.
117. J. Iluk, "The Export of Gold from the Roman Empire to Barbar
ian Countries from the 4th to the 6th Centuries," Münstersche
Beiträge zur Handelsgeschichte 4.1 (1985), pp. 79-102.
118. Ph. Grierson, "The Kyrenia Girdle of Byzantine Medallions
and Solidi," NC 6th ser. 15 (1955), pp. 55-70.
119. Vermeule (above, note 116), p. 28, no. 53; Jewelry, Ancient to
Modern (above, note 14), p. 119, no. 330.
120. Coche de la Ferte (above, note 14), pl. 13.
121. A. Stylianou and J. Stylianou, The Treasures of Lambousa (Vasilia, Cyprus, 1969), pp. 49-53, 64, no. 16; Ph. Grierson, "The
Date of the Dumbarton Oaks Epiphany Medallion," DOP 15
(1961), pp. 221-224; Age of Spirituality, pp. 71-72, no. 61.
122. Ε. H. Kantorowicz, "On the Golden Marriage Belt and the
Marriage Rings of the Dumbarton Oaks Collection," DOP 14
(i960), pp. 1-16, fig. 1; Ross, DO, pp. 37-39; Age of Spirituality,
pp. 283-284, no. 262.
123. Coche de la Ferte (above, note 14), pl. 11.
124. A. Alföldi, "Insignien und Tracht der römischen Kaiser," RM
50 (1935), P- 64·
125. Delbrueck (above, note 15), p. χιχ.
126. Alföldi (above, note 124), p. 61, fig. 7; J. M . C. Toynbee,
"Roman Medallions," Nusmismatic Studies 5 (1944), p. 199;
A. Grabar, The Beginnings of Christian Art (London, 1967),
p. 193, fig. 208; Age of Spirituality, p. 74, no. 63; P. Strauss,
"Die Münzen der spätrömischen Kaiserzeit," HelvArch 11
(1980), p. 72. I am indebted to Ph. Grierson for drawing my
attention to these medallions.
127. Volbach (above, note 108), pl. 19, no. 63.
128. A. Grabar, Die Kunst im Zeitalter Justinians (Munich, 1967),
figs. 161-162; H . Karpp, Die frühchristlichen und mittelalterlichen
Mosaiken in Santa Maria zu Rom (Baden-Baden, 1966).
129. Horedt and Protase (above, note 99), pp. 174-220.
130. Cf. Harhoiu, Pietroasa, pp. 19—22, 29—35.
131. For all historical and economical questions of this period,
see Α. Η. M . Jones, The Later Roman Empire (Oxford, 1964);
Harhoiu, Pietroasa, pp. 31-35.

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