-
Marble sarcophagus fragment, possibly a Maenad. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)
Corner Figure
Report 2: Sculpture from Sardis: The Finds through 1975
(1978)
Cat. 176
- Date
- Probably AD 250 or later, Roman
- Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
- NoEx74.002
- Material
- Marble, Stone
- Object Type
- Sculpture, Sarcophagus
- Sculpture Type
- Sarcophagus
- Site
- Sardis
- B-Grid Coordinates
- ca W560 / S60
- Findspot
- Found near the Claudia Antonia Sabina tomb (
Cat. 243 Fig. 422).
- Description
- The linear and elongated figure is a rough version of a “Kallimachos” maenad. Dancing or running, she carries a poorly made garland of fruits and leaves which runs all the way from her broken upper l. arm to her lower l. leg. Her l. arm may have been flung back across the garland, and her raised r. hand holds the loop on which it is suspended. Her garment leaves her r. breast exposed; there is a short sleeve over her l. arm. The belt seems to consist of two tied snakes. The holes on the garment over the l. breast may be intended as dots of a nebris. The garment is open over her r. leg from the thigh down. Her l. leg is set back. She was presumably intended as Victory, but is a very maenad-like type. She has no wings. Her head is thrown back. The background clearly shows very rough horizontal stroke finish of interior of sarcophagus.
- Condition
Marble.
Much battered and worn.
- Dimensions
- P.H. ca. 0.50; D. 0.225.
- Comments
- For the type, cf. Matz, Sarkophagreliefs, 22, type 8, “Krotalistria”; and type 32, “Kymbalistria D,” with references; for placing maenad near or at corner, ibid. pl. 73, no. 61, late Severan; 3, nos. 223, 234, pls. 232, 234.
- See Also
- Bibliography
- Author
- NHR