• r2-193-10
    Pilaster capital with draped female figure, possibly Cybele or snake goddess, overview. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)

    Pilaster Capital with Cybele or Snake Goddess

    Date
    2nd half of 2nd C. AD, Roman
    Museum
    Manisa, Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum, 7101
    Museum Inventory No.
    7101
    Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
    NoEx68.009
    Material
    Marble, Stone
    Object Type
    Sculpture
    Sculpture Type
    Capital, Draped Woman, Mythological Figure
    Site
    Keklik Suyu
    Findspot
    Found S of HoB, E of PN at Keklik Suyu.
    Description

    The pilaster capital consists of two flat volutes springing from a base and supported by acanthus leaves. Standing on a small projecting base is a draped woman in hieratic pose with a pomegranate (?) in her l. hand and a snake, which wriggles across her body, in her r. hand. Fingers are incised. She has a fleshy round face with hair parted in the middle and drawn over her ears. Her tall headdress (polos?) is covered by a long veil falling over the shoulders and becoming a kind of shall. It is slung from r. shoulder to l. forearm, its curved folds incised. Beneath it is worn a long-sleeved, high-girt peplos with V-neckline and regular diagonal folds across the torso. A triangular fold is shown at her l. side. The skirt falls in heavy folds to her feet, which are indicated as projecting, like those of archaic korai.

    The workmanship is coarse; hollows in acanthus leaves are deeply drilled and gouged, surface details chiseled. The proportions are stocky. Hairstyle looks Antonine and full-featured face is reminiscent of sarcophagi of that period. Drill work also points to a date in the 2nd half of 2nd C. A.D. (Cat. 194 Fig. 344 is the same type and period).

    Condition

    Grayish white marble, large crystals.

    Upper l. corner is missing, r. corner chipped, as are leaf tips. Surface slightly worn.

    Dimensions
    H. 0.323; W. at top 0.403, at bottom 0.30; Th. at top 0.087, at bottom 0.04.
    Comments
    See Also
    Bibliography
    Author
    NHR