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Fragment of relief panel showing river god, overview. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)
River God
Report 2: Sculpture from Sardis: The Finds through 1975
(1978)
Cat. 189
- Date
- 1st or 2nd C. AD, Roman
- Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
- NoEx61.001
- Material
- Marble, Stone
- Object Type
- Sculpture
- Sculpture Type
- Other Relief, Human Figure, Mythological Figure
- Site
- Sardis
- Findspot
- Pactolus River bed, between PN and the Izmir-Salihi highway.
- Description
The reclining river god has long hair, and is nude. His l. leg is tucked under the bent r. one. In his r. hand he holds a reed, and two other vertical reeds are incised into the background at the upper l. At the r. is a plane tree in shallow relief. The river god leans on his l. arm, and rests on a ledge (H. 0.12).
The pose and attributes are standard for a river god; modeling has been attempted, but is not highly refined. The carving of the tree show Hellenistic influence.
- Condition
Coarse white marble.
Lower r. corner of rectangular slab broken away. Top and r. edges preserve raised ledge near front surface, carefully chiseled for fitting into architectural frame. Figure’s l. arm missing below shoulder. Surface damage to face and limbs.
- Dimensions
- H. 0.53; W. at top 0.558, at center 0.58; Th. at top 0.09, at bottom 0.15; W. of projecting ledge at top 0.28, at r. 0.10.
- Comments
- See Also
- Bibliography
- Author
- NHR