• r2-190-10
    Marble relief with river god, overview. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)

River God

Date
3rd C. AD?, Roman
Museum
Manisa, Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum, 324
Museum Inventory No.
324
Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
S61.003
Material
Marble, Stone
Object Type
Sculpture
Sculpture Type
Other Relief, Mythological Figure, Human Figure
Site
Sardis
Sector
HoB
Trench
HoB
B-Grid Coordinates
*97.44 - 97.12
Findspot
HoB basin between units 7 and 15.
Description

A youthful, unbearded river god holds a single reed in his r. hand and reclines on a rock in which a male head is carved. The lower part of his body is covered by a cloth, making a series of parallel folds over the legs; a roll of the material at the top of the garment sweeps up over his l. arm. In the upper l. corner of the field is incised a hammer and chisel. Surrounding the panel is a molded frame. Perhaps the piece was used as a fountain.

Although simple in design, the style is fairly crude; the r. arm is too large for the body, and there is little modeling of arms or torso. Claw chisel marks are still evident on both figure and background. Even the insertion of large sculptor’s tools by incision is crude. A date in the 3rd C. A.D. seems likely.

Condition

Marble.

Frame of the slab somewhat damaged; and two pour-hollows cut on lower side, presumably as later additions. Surface heavily worn, particularly on the face and torso.

Dimensions
H. 0.822; W. 0.96; D. 0.145; W. of molded frame 0.12; L. figure 0.705.
Comments
For this type of draped river god, cf. Hommel, Figurengiebeln, figs. 2 and 14; Brilliant, Gesture, 102, fig. 2:120; and Franke, Kleinasien zur Romerzeit, no. 210 (a coin, Gallienic).
See Also
Bibliography
Published: Hanfmann, Letters, 87, fig. 63.
Author
NHR