• r2-56-10
    Attenuated figure, perhaps Athena, frontal view. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)

Attenuated Figure, Perhaps Athena

Date
Hellenistic or Roman
Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
NoEx68.004
Material
Marble, Stone
Object Type
Sculpture
Sculpture Type
Draped Woman, Human Figure, Mythological Figure
Site
Sardis
Findspot
Found 400-500 E of Pactolus Valley road, in village of Sart Mustafa (S of Izmir-Ankara highway).
Description

The greatly attenuated figure wears a peplos girt just beneath her breasts. Two long broad folds fall from r. arm to feet, with zigzag folds on the surface. The lower garment has deep, swallow-tail folds. The r. leg, drawn back, is revealed; the l. leg on which figure is poised, is barely seen beneath the drapery. In back the peplos hangs low, and is largely unarticulated.

The figure is a Hellenistic (Pergamene) variation of the Phidian Athena Parthenos, but has no attributes to identify her. Traces of drilling are in the deep folds but the piece is largely worked with chisels and abrasives. The technique appears to be Hellenistic, 2nd C. B.C., but a Roman copyist is possible.

Condition

Small-crystalled grayish white marble.

Arms, neck, head missing. Much chipping, some recent. In the back are a dowel hole (L. 0.035) and an iron dowel (L. 0.15) for attaching the head, and a dowel hole and iron fragment are on r. side for attaching r. arm.

Dimensions
H. 0.47; W. at base 0.185, at breasts 0.085; D. at base 0.165.
Comments
See Also
Bibliography
Author
NHR