-
Colossal cuirassed torso, view of back. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)
Colossal Cuirassed Torso
- Date
- Hellenistic
- Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
- S61.024
- Material
- Marble, Stone
- Object Type
- Sculpture
- Sculpture Type
- Cuirass Statue, Human Figure
- Site
- Sardis
- Sector
- AT
- Trench
- AT
- Locus
- AT Precinct
- B-Grid Coordinates
- Temple Grid: W 3.85-W 3.85/S 2-S 2; * -
- Findspot
- Found by Butler and transported to Sardis camp, 1961. Was lying in AT for many years, 3.85 m. W of and 2.00 m. S of pier no. 78.
- Description
The cuirassed torso, about one and a half times lifesize, is in two pieces. Piece A has the r. side of the back and side of the cuirass, and extends from the neck to below the pteryges of the cuirass. Each flap has four simple engraved vertical lines. The upper part of a pointed fold may be part of a paludamentum. The upper part of the r. arm remains, and shows a cutting for piecing. There is a wide cingulum wrapped twice around his waist. Piece B, which joins A along a vertical break, has a heavy cloak slung over the l. shoulder and falling down the back. Seven folds are preserved, four folded flat on the back and three falling from behind the armpit. The cloth has a wide fringe (0.10 m.), indicated by curving chiseled lines and separated from the body of the cloak by an incised band. The stump of the l. arm and the l. side of the cuirass are preserved.
This is a Hellenistic type with a plain breastplate. Vermeule suggests that this might be Antiochus III or Eumenes II or one of their “captains.”
- Condition
Marble, weathered gray.
Two fragments (A and B) of colossal torso; split apart after discovery by Butler. The front of the statue is broken away.
- Dimensions
- A: H. 0.66; W. 0.46; D. 0.27. B: H. 0.74; W. 0.33; D. 0.32. Th. of A and B at shoulder 0.67.
- Comments
- See Also
- Bibliography
- Published:BASOR166, 34; Vermeule, Cuirassed Statues, no. 1a, p. 97, pl. XVII:1; Hanfmann, Sardis R1, 81.
- Author
- NHR