-
Fragment of figured bolster, overview. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)
Fragment of Figured Bolster
Report 2: Sculpture from Sardis: The Finds through 1975
(1978)
Cat. 214
- Date
- Hadrianic, Roman
- Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
- NoEx62.011
- Material
- Marble, Stone
- Object Type
- Sculpture
- Sculpture Type
- Other Architectural Piece, Human Figure
- Site
- Sardis
- Findspot
- Findspot unknown.
- Description
An angular monkey-like male figure has bent and extended arms and legs; he looks off to his l. He is surrounded by vines and a bunch of grapes. His body is covered by a wavy pattern, marked by parallel grooves, signifying hair. The relief slab is curved and turns inward sharply towards the bottom, suggesting the shape of a bolster.
There is drilling in the vine pattern. Carving of the relief is high, but not as deep or concentrated as Severan figured reliefs. Comparisons with some Hadrianic reliefs suggest that our piece dates from that period.
- Condition
White marble.
A small piece of the original top surface preserved. Most of the capering figure preserved. Some surface chipping.
- Dimensions
- H. 0.38; W. 0.27; D. 0.58.
- Comments
- For similar vines, see H. Walter, colonne ciselee, pl. XIV, no. 84. For Hadrianic comparisons see the recently excavated Hadrianic forum colonnade at Iasos with figured, curved entablature, D. Levi, Iasos, 489, fig. 42 and Akurgal, Civilizations, pl. 29, showing column fragment from temple of Hadrian, Cyzikus. For Severan carving, Toynbee-Ward-Perkins, Peopled Scrolls, 1-43, pls. 1-26 but cf. Wegner, Ornamente 91ff. Fig. 31a and b, Flavian to Severan.
- See Also
- Bibliography
- Author
- NHR