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Corinthian capital with three heads, center head. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College) -
Corinthian capital with three heads, side. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)
Corinthian Capital with Three Heads
- Date
- Constantinian? , Roman
- Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
- NoEx69.001
- Material
- Marble, Stone
- Object Type
- Sculpture
- Sculpture Type
- Capital, Mythological Figure
- Site
- Sardis
- Findspot
- Findspot unknown.
- Description
All three heads are female. The central one, quite worn, is Medusa with two snakes, summarily carved and tied in a knot under her chin. Parallel incisions in her hair indicate ringlets. The eyes are large, carved deeply all around, with a drilled center for the iris. The two side heads lack snakes but the otherwise are apparently similar. The fourth side is flatter and had no head. Leaves of the capital are deeply undercut; there is evidence of running drill. There are regular drilled holes beneath each head. The molding had two fasciae. The side heads are placed higher than the central one.
This is the only Sardis capital with three heads. The eye treatment and regularity of drilled holes suggest a Constantinian date.
- Condition
Marble.
Complete except l. head broken off, damage to corners and leaf tips, and surface worn.
- Dimensions
- H. 0.28; W. at top 0.33, at bottom 0.24; H. of heads 0.09, of moldings 0.05.
- Comments
- See Also
- Bibliography
- Mercklin, Antike Figuralkapitelle, no. 224, figs. 431-432; 434; no. 231, figs. 439-440; no. 236, figs. 442-443, and others, but none are very close to ours.
- Author
- NHR