GREEK FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
GREEK FUNERARY SCULPTURE
Catalouge of the Collections at the getty Villa
Janet Burnett Grossman
THE J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM . LOS ANGELES
© 2001 The J. Paul Getty Trust
Mailing address:
Getty Publications
1200 Getty Center Drive
Suite 500
Los Angeles, California 900491682
www.getty.edu
Christopher Hudson, Publisher
Mark Greenberg, Editor in Chief
Typesetting by G&S Typesetters, Inc., Austin, Texas
Printed by Artegrafica, Verona, Italy
L I B R A R Y O F C O N G R E S S C A T A L O G I N G - I N - P U B L I C A T I O N DATA
Grossman, Janet Burnett, 1943
Greek funerary sculpture : catalogue of the collections at the Getty Villa /
Janet Burnett Grossman,
p.
cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0892366125 (alk. paper)
1. Sepulchral monuments — Greece — Catalogs.
Catalogs.
3. Relief (Sculpture), Greek — Catalogs.
monuments — California — Malibu — Catalogs.
— Catalogs.
I . J. Paul Getty Museum.
2. Sarcophagi, Greek —
4. Sepulchral
5. J. Paul Getty Museum
I I . Title.
NB1803.G74 G76 2001
736' .5' 093807479494—dc21
00031638
7
T I T L E PAGE:
Fragment of a relief of a horseman
and companion, from a funerary building
(cat. no. 54)
OPPOSITE:
Grave stele of Philoxenos with his wife,
Philoumene (detail)
(cat. no. 4)
P A G E X:
Grave stele of Phanokrates (detail)
(cat. no. 41)
P A G E 7:
Grave stele of Sime (detail)
(cat. no. 21)
PAGES 1 6 0 6 1 :
Lion (detail)
(cat. no. 31)
COLOPHON:
Corinthian column capital with a winged
double sphinx (detail)
(cat. no. 55)
Contents
Foreword
Deborah
VI
Gribbon
Acknowledgments
vii
Abbreviations and Note to the Reader
Vlll
Introduction: Funerary Sculpture i n the Greek World
1
ATTIC FUNERARY
8
SCULPTURE
The Classical Period (Cat. nos. 134)
8
The Hellenistic Period (Cat. no. 35)
95
M E G A R I A N FUNERARY
98
SCULPTURE
The Early Classical Period (Cat. no. 36)
98
BOEOTIAN FUNERARY
101
SCULPTURE
101
The Classical Period (Cat. no. 37)
NORTHERN
GREEK FUNERARY
104
SCULPTURE
The Classical Period (Cat. no. 38)
104
EAST GREEK FUNERARY
107
SCULPTURE
The Classical Period (Cat. no. 39)
107
The Hellenistic Period (Cat. nos. 40 49)
109
ITALY
136
The Late Classical/Early Hellenistic Period (Cat. nos. 5055)
136
Q U E S T I O N A B L E A U T H E N T I C I T Y (Cat nos. 5657)
148
F O R M E R L Y I N T H E C O L L E C T I O N (Cat. nos. 5859)
152
GREEK FUNERARY SCULPTURE
FROM SOUTH
Concordance
156
Index
157
Foreword
T
H R O U G H O U T H U M A N H I S T O R Y , funerary markers have provided an
opportunity for the living to remember and commune with the dead.
Even someone as famous and mighty as Alexander the Great visited the
tomb o f an even more renowned Greek hero, Achilles, i n order to pay homage and gain
inspiration (Plutarch Alexander 15.89). The faces that look out at us from Greek funer
ary sculptures, though not true portraits and executed with varying skill, depict the dead
as they were i n life: loving and beloved. These public testimonies of private grief are
clearly from a time and world far from our own, yet the feelings of loss expressed i n the
images and inscriptions are notably similar to modern sentiments and have the power
to touch us still.
In this catalogue of the Museum s collection of Greek funerary monuments,
Janet Burnett Grossman, Assistant Curator i n the Antiquities department, draws on
her experience i n sculpture to help us fully appreciate the remarkable humanity of these
memorials. Joining the previously published catalogue of .Roman Funerary Sculpture by
Guntram Koch, which was published i n 1988, the present catalogue shows the variety o f
human sentiments expressed i n the face of death by the ancient Greeks. The catalogue is
arranged geographically and chronologically i n order to facilitate its use by scholars, but
the appeal o f these monuments should reach well beyond that specialized community.
Many of the objects came from wellknown collections or were donated to the
Museum. Thus, catalogue numbers 3 and 9 were formerly i n the collection of Thomas
Bruce, seventh Earl o f Elgin; numbers 46 and 48 come from the collection of the first
Marquess of Lansdowne; and numbers 31,38, 41,50, 51, and 55 were part of the Barbara
and Lawrence Fleischman collection. Several people have donated pieces to the
Museum, namely, Mr. and Mrs. M i l t o n Gottlieb (cat. no. 25), Joel Kass (cat. no. 53),
N . Koutoulakis (cat. no. 56), Vasek Polak (cat. nos. 1, 8, and 27), and G. Lynn Richards
(cat. no. 52). Several pieces, including one of the finest (cat. no. 22), were purchased by
J. Paul Getty himself.
This catalogue is part o f our ongoing, vigorous efforts to make the Getty
Museum's collections and research available beyond the physical limits o f our museum.
Marion True, Curator of Antiquities and Assistant Director for Villa Planning, has
guided these efforts with remarkable energy and discernment. The author, Janet
Grossman, has our admiration for her work i n this field and our thanks for bringing
this volume to completion.
Deborah Gribbon
Director
vi
Acknowledgments
O
N E O F T H E M A N Y A N D D I V E R S E J O B S of museum curators is the
preparation of catalogues of the collection under their care. W r i t i n g
this catalogue of the Greek funerary sculpture currently i n the collec
tion of the Getty Museum has been m y great privilege and pleasure. I have been fortu
nate i n having a generous colleague and supervisor i n Dr. Marion True, Curator of
Antiquities, who entrusted this project to me. I was fortunate i n my training to have the
wise and superb guidance of Dr. Evelyn B. Harrison, who started me on the path of
sculpture study. M y thanks are owed to both of these inspirational women and scholars.
A project of this type draws on the expertise and assistance o f many people
whom I can never hope to thank adequately. Ellen Rosenbery, Jack Ross, and Bruce
White took the superb photographs of each monument, with Ellen responsible for the
lions share. Jerry Podany and Jeff Maish, Conservators i n the Museums Department
of Antiquities Conservation, provided technical analysis on some of the more problem
atic sculptures. Patrick Finnerty drew the inscriptions, the typological chart of stelae,
and the ghostly remains of painted patterns that are just visible o n a few of the grave
stones. Outside reviewers made many helpful observations and suggestions, which
strengthened and clarified the text. I t was a pleasure to work with a meticulous and
thoughtful editor, Benedicte Gilman. The designer, Sandy Bell, produced the handsome
book you hold i n your hands. As production coordinators, Stacy Miyagawa and Eliza
beth Chapin Kahn shepherded the book through the intricacies of publication.
Conversations and discussions with various colleagues who are equally as fasci
nated by Greek gravestones as myself provided a background for reflection and recon
sideration of my opinions on some of the monuments. These include Bernhard Schmaltz,
Johannes Bergemann, and Karen Stears. A n d finally, simple thanks are inadequate to
express the gratitude I feel to m y husband, Dr. Peter Grossman, who read the manu
script at various stages, offering practical advice on its readability, and who endured
my long intervals of preoccupation with this catalogue.
Janet Burnett Grossman
Los Angeles,
2000
vii
Abbreviations and Note to the Reader
East Greece, the origin of catalogue numbers thirtynine through
Frei 1979b
J. Frei, Antiquities in the J. Paul Getty
Museum: A Checklist: Sculpture 2:
fortynine, denotes the eastern Mediterranean area of Asia Minor,
especially the coastal cities of modern Turkey and the immediate off
Greek Portraits and Varia (Malibu,
shore islands.
1979).
J. Frei, Death of a Hero (Malibu, 1984).
J. Paul Getty et al., The Joys of
Collecting (New York, 1965).
The J. Paul Getty Museum Journal.
H . GrangerTaylor, "The Emperor s
Clothes: The Fold Lines," Bulletin of
the Cleveland Museum of Art 74
(1987): 11423.
J. Grossman, "The Sculptured Funer
ary Monuments of the Classical
Period in the Athenian Agora" (Ph.D.
diss., Institute of Fine Arts, New York
Univ., 1995).
M . Hamiaux, Les Sculptures grecques
(Paris, 1992).
J. Kirchner, Inscriptiones graecae:
Inscriptiones Atticae Euclidis anno
posteriores (Chicago, 1974).
Journal of Hellenic Studies.
H . Klumbach, Tarentiner Grabkunst
(Reutlingen, 1937).
J. Marcadé, Au Musée de Délos: Étude
sur la sculpture hellénistique en ronde
bosse découverte dans l'île (Paris, 1969).
M . Meyer, "Alte Männer auf attischen
Grabdenkmälern," Mitteilungen des
Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts,
Athenische Abteilung 104 (19.89):
4982.
A. Michaelis, Ancient Marbles in Great
Britain (Cambridge, 1882).
M . Moltesen, Greece in the Classical
Period: Catalogue, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (Copenhagen, 1995).
K. D. Morrow, Greek Footwear and the
Dating of Sculpture (Madison, 1985).
G. Neumann, Gesten und Gebärden in
der griechischen Kunst (Berlin, 1965).
M . J. Osborne and S. G. Byrne, eds.,
A Lexicon of Greek Personal Names,
vol. 2, Attica (Oxford, 1994).
S. PfistererHaas, "Ältere Frauen auf
attischen Grabdenkmälern," Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen
Instituts, Athenische Abteilung 105
(1990): 17996.
Frequently cited publications are abbreviated as listed below:
Benson 1996
Bergemann 1997
Bodel and Tracy 1997
Butz 1987
Carter 1975
Clairmont 1993
Couilloud 1974
Davies 1971
Fraser and Matthews
Frei 1974
Frei 1979a
viii
C. Benson, "Recurring Figuretypes
on Classical Attic Grave Stelai" (Ph.D.
diss., Princeton Univ., 1996).
J. Bergemann, Demos und Thanatos:
Untersuchungen zum Wertsystem der
Polis im Spiegel der attischen Grabreliefs des 4. Jahrhunderts v. Chr. und zur
Funktion der gleichzeitigen Grabbauten
(Munich, 1997).
J. Bodel and S. Tracy, Greek and Latin
Inscriptions in the USA: A Checklist
(New York, 1997).
P. Butz, "Exequial Paleographies: A
Catalogue of the Later Inscriptions in
Greek on the Funerary Stones of the
J. Paul Getty Museum" (M.A. thesis,
Univ. of Southern California, Los
Angeles, 1987).
J. C. Carter, The Sculpture of Taras
(Philadelphia, 1975).
C. W. Clairmont, Classical Attic Tombstones, intro. vol. and vols. 16 (Kilch
berg, 1993).
M.T. Couilloud, Exploration
archéologique de Délos, vol. 30, Les
Monuments funéraires de Rhénée
(Paris, 1974).
J. K. Davies, Athenian Propertied Families, 600-300 B.C. (Oxford, 1971).
P. M . Fraser and E. Matthews, A Lexicon of Greek Personal Names, vol. 1,
The Aegean Islands, Cyprus, Cyrenaica
(Oxford, 1987); vol. 3A, The Péloponnèse, Western Greece, Sicily and Magna
Graecia (Oxford, 1997).
J. Frei, Recent Acquisitions, Ancient
Art, The J. Paul Getty Museum (Pull
man, Wash., 1974).
J. Frei, Antiquities in the J. Paul Getty
Museum: A Checklist: Sculpture 1:
Greek Originals (Malibu, 1979).
Frei 1984
Getty et al. 1965
CettyMusJ
Granger-Taylor 1987
Grossman 1995
Hamiaux 1992
iC il
2
JHS
Klumbach 1937
Marcada 1969
Meyer 1989
Michaelis 1882
Moltesen 1995
Morrow 1985
Neumann 1965
Osborne and Byrne 1994
Pfisterer-Haas 1990
Pfuhl and Mobius 1977
E. Pfuhl and H . Mobius, Die ostgrie-
Vermeule 1955
Pfuhl and Mobius 1979
1977).
Great Britain," American
E. Pfuhl and H . Mobius, Die ostgrie-
Archaeology
chischen Grabreliefs, vol. 2 (Mainz,
Vermeule 1972
Vermeule 1981
Hesperia 89 (1989): 41044.
Vermeule and
G. Richter, The Furniture
Neuerburg 1973
of the
J. Paul Getty Museum
B. S. Ridgway, Fifth Century Styles in
Vermeule and
Greek Sculpture
Von Kersburg 1968
(Princeton, 1981).
B. S. Ridgway, Hellenistic
A. Scholl, Die attischen
Bildfeldstelen
Vierneisel-Schlorb 1988
Untersuchungen
zu den kleinformatigen
spatklassischen
Athen
Supplementum
Epigraphicum
Vorsteri983
Sculpture
Woysch-Meautis 1982
(London, 1991).
C. Vorster, Griechische
Kinderstatuen
D. WoyschMeautis, La
Representation
Vepoque archaique a la fin du iv
Constructing Female Gender in Clas
and Society in Greek
sur
les monuments funeraires grecs de
e
siecle
av. J.-C. (Lausanne, 1982).
sical Athenian Funerary Sculpture," i n
Zanker1993
P. Zanker, "The Hellenistic Grave
Archaeology: Bridging the 'Great
Stelai from Smyrna: Identity and Self
Divide,'
image in the Polis," i n Images and Ide-
ed. N . Spencer, pp. 10931
(London and New York, 1995).
ologies: Self-definition
H . Stothart, A Handbook
of the Sculp-
World, ed. A. Bulloch et al., pp. 212
ture in the J. Paul Getty
Museum
in the Hellenistic
30 (Berkeley, 1993).
ZPE
(Malibu, 1965).
Thickpenny 1985
und
des animaux et des etres fabuleux
K. Stears, "Dead Women's Society:
Stothart 1965
Skulpturen,
(Cologne, 1983).
(Leiden, 1923).
Time, Tradition
Glyptothek
Katalog der
Votivreliefs (Munich, 1988).
(Berlin, 1996).
Graecum
B. VierneiselSchlorb,
Munchen,
Bd. 3, Klassische Grabdenkmaler
Grabreliefs im
R. R. R. Smith, Hellenistic
Stears 1995
Journal of Archaeology 72
(1968): 99101.
des 4. Jhs. v. Chr.:
Smith 1991
C. C. Vermeule and P. Von Kersburg,
American
(Madison, 1990).
SEC
(Malibu, 1973).
"Appendix: Lions, Attic and Related,"
Sculpture,
vol. 1, The Styles ofca. 331-200 B.C.
Scholl 1996
C. C. Vermeule and N . Neuerburg,
Catalogue of the Ancient Art in the
(Lon
don, 1966).
Ridgway 1990
in
States
and Canada (Berkeley, 1981).
and Maid' on Athenian Lekythoi,"
Ridgway 1981
C. C. Vermeule, Greek and Roman
Public Collections in the United
J. Reilly, "Many Brides: 'Mistress
Greeks, Etruscans and Romans
Journal
Sculpture in America: Masterpieces
Gallery (Baltimore, 1995).
Richter 1966
C. C. Vermeule, "Greek Funerary Ani
of Archaeology 76 (1972): 4959.
E. Reeder, Pandora: Women in Classical Greece, exh. cat., Walters Art
Reilly-1989
Journal of
59 (1955): 12950.
mals, 450300 B.C.," American
1979).
Reeder1995
C. C. Vermeule, "Notes on a New Edi
tion of Michaelis: Ancient Marbles in
chischen Grabreliefs, vol. 1 (Mainz,
Zeitschrift filr Papyrologie und
Epigraphik.
H . Thickpenny, "Two Attic Grave
Stelai i n the J. Paul Getty Museum,"
acc. no.
accession number
M . True and K. Hamma, eds., A Pas-
cat. no.
catalogue number
sion for Antiquities:
cf.
compare
the Collection of Barbara and Lawrence
esp.
especially
Fleischman
exh. cat.
exhibition catalogue
in.
inch
GettyMusJii
True and Ham ma 1994
Vedder1985
(1985): 58.
Ancient Art
from
(Malibu, 1994).
U. Vedder, Untersuchungen
schen Ausstattung
attischer
zurplastiGrabanla-
gen des 4. Jhs. v. Chr. (Frankfurt, 1985).
in v.
inventory number
s.v.
sub verbo
ix
Introduction: Funerary Sculpture in the Greek World
E
A C H OF T H E S C U L P T U R E S i n this catalogue was made to mark the burial
place o f an ancient Greek. Examples of most of the different types of
monuments that were carved to mark graves i n various parts of the Greek
world are represented i n the Getty Museum's collection. The majority is from Athens
and its surrounding area of Attika, with additional monuments from Boeotia, northern
Greece, Greek settlements situated along the eastern Mediterranean coast of modern
Turkey (East Greece), and the Greek colony o f Taras (Roman Tarentum, modern
Taranto) i n South Italy. The sculptures i n the catalogue are grouped according to the
various regions i n which they originated and are arranged chronologically, from earliest
to latest, within each region.
While most of the funerary monuments i n the Museum s collection were pro
duced i n the Classical period (about 480323 B . C . ) , there are also some fine examples
from the Hellenistic period (about 32330 B.C.). As is typical of these periods, the
Museum's monuments show the deceased either alone or i n a family group; seated
women, standing bearded men, nude boys and young men, modest maidens, smiling
children, and servants are most commonly represented. Most of the markers are carved
of marble, which was abundant, especially i n Greece and the area of modern Turkey.
Marble was notably lacking i n South Italy, however, and the tombstones from that area
are carved of local limestone.
Every society and culture commemorates its dead i n somewhat distinctive
ways. The ancient Greeks had a particularly strong tradition of placing highly visible
markers on their graves. Indeed, the majority of Greek sculptures that have survived
from antiquity are funerary. The Greeks were a visual people; their accomplishments
in sculpture and architecture are renowned. To date, several thousand sculpted funerary
monuments have been discovered i n various parts of the Greek world, most of them
from Athens and Attika.
From the Archaic period on Greeks buried their dead i n cemeteries outside
the city or settlement. The largest and apparently most important cemetery of ancient
Athens was the Kerameikos cemetery, located outside the northwestern gates of the wall
that surrounded the city. I t is one of the most carefully excavated and welldocumented
ancient Greek cemeteries. Most cemeteries, i n fact, were situated near gates of city walls,
and the roads that led up to these gates often ran through the cemeteries, whose graves
faced the roads. The location of the cemeteries at the city gates meant that grave stelai
were visible to all who entered and left the city, whether on personal business, i n state
processions, or for festivals.
Some epitaphs on individual tombstones specifically address passersby. Graves
of private individuals as well as state tombs of the war dead have been found i n the
Kerameikos cemetery, where many grave markers are still i n place above the graves they
marked. The original placement of the earliest monuments has been obscured by subse
quent reorganizations of the cemeteries. During the Classical period graves of private
individuals were laid out i n terraces i n the Kerameikos cemetery and were often walled
with fine ashlar masonry, on top of which the stele was placed. Graves belonging to
individual members of a family were frequently grouped together i n precincts called
periboloi. Since the Kerameikos cemetery was used as a burial ground from about the
twelfth century B.C. through the sixth century A.D., the crowding of burials and mounds
has often made the interpretation of the excavated finds difficult. I n addition, when
many of the largest and finest sculpted monuments of the Classical period were removed
in the late nineteenth century for display i n the National Archaeological Museum of
Athens, their exact original location i n the cemetery was not fully recorded. I n spite of
I N T R O D U C T I O N
1
Map locating some of the most important sites
mentioned m the text.
such shortcomings i n the information about the Kerameikos cemetery, it remains the
most valuable example available to us today of the appearance and disposition of graves
within an ancient Greek cemetery. Almost all of the Attic gravestones included i n this
catalogue find a counterpart i n the Kerameikos cemetery, where examples o f most m o n
ument types may still be seen.
Gravestones were massproduced i n sculptural workshops headed by sculptors
who remain anonymous to us. No funerary monument can with certainty be attributed
to master sculptors such as Polykleitos or Lysippos, whose names are known to us from
ancient literary and epigraphic sources. The quality of carving on gravestones ranges
from quite mediocre to highly skilled. Some monuments rival the best sculpture known
from ancient Greece. The quality reflects the marketplace. A simple, hastily executed
stone would have been within the means of an average citizen, while large, grand monu
ments are indicative of the wealth of other Greeks. The gravestones i n the Getty collec
tion reflect this wide range of quality of production. For example, one (cat. no. 5) is a
small, relatively simple marker. By contrast, a head o f a woman (cat. no. 22) shows the
highest quality of sculpting. That head originally belonged to a nowlost statue, which
was part of a very large, elaborately constructed monument probably consisting o f sev
eral nearly freestanding figures.
Although many ancient grave markers have survived, most have not been found
i n proximity to specific gravesites. Being of the size and thickness they are, the stones
were perfectly suited for subsequent reuse as building material. For example, of the
many funerary monuments found i n the excavations of the Agora—the civic center
and marketplace o f ancient Athens—none is associated with a specific burial. More
than two thousand markers have been discovered and catalogued there, with most hav
ing been scavenged for use as building material, either during the later Roman and
Byzantine periods or i n the modern era. The majority of the latter was built into the
walls of houses constructed soon after the Greek War of Independence (18211830).
This reuse is the reason that most surviving grave markers are fragmentary. Only a very
small proportion of the total number of gravestones has survived nearly intact. Even i n
a broken state, however, many can be restored to approximate their original appearance
because of the known traditions common to the iconography and inscriptions on Greek
funerary sculpture.
2
IN
T R O D U C T I O N
Sculpted marble grave markers were first produced i n Greece i n the Archaic
period (about 600480 B.C.). Since this was the period i n which marble began to be
used i n both architecture and sculpture, i t is not surprising that it was used also for
grave markers. Some of the earliest sculpted grave markers were freestanding statues
of young men, kouroi, and young women, korai, placed on the graves of deceased young
men and women. When children had survived the ancient perils of childhood with its
terribly high infant mortality rate, the death of an unmarried young man or woman was
especially devastating to a family, for these individuals were the future of the family.
The earliest marble markers were produced for the graves of these lost generations.
The surviving epitaph of a woman named Phrasikleia poignantly expresses the loss
of this young woman.
Tomb of Phrasikleia:
Maiden [kore] shall I be called,
Forever given this name,
not marriage,
by the gods.
Aristion of Paros made me.
1
I n addition to freestanding statues some Archaic graves of these individual young family
members were commemorated with a tall marble stele carved with an image of a young
warrior or a young woman wearing festival dress.
The style of sculpted grave markers changed i n the Classical period. Gravestones
began to be erected i n Athens i n the 420s B.C. after a period of roughly seventy years
during which few marble funerary monuments appear to have been carved, possibly
due to legal restrictions aimed at limiting ostentatious displays of private wealth. Instead
of singling out the youthful members of the family, as was common during the Archaic
period, entire households were now depicted, including slaves, who were shown as
attendants to more centrally positioned family members. I t is uncertain i f there was
a change i n funeral ritual i n the Classical period, or whether burial i n family plots had
always been the norm, as the limited surviving literary and archaeological evidence
seems to suggest. I t is clear that family plots became more elaborate i n the course of the
fourth century, with monumental walls and terraces built around them, some of which
have survived to the present day. The sculpted marble monuments placed i n the plots
also became larger and more elaborate as the fourth century progressed.
A preference for specific poses, compositions, and recurring figure types is
common i n Classical reliefs. For example, many feature a seated woman, which may be
a reflection of Athenian values, since the memorials served a public purpose as well as
a private function. The family unit, the oikos, was the center of Athenian identity during
this period of Greek history Especially important was the citizen status of male mem
bers o f the family, conferred by the legitimate succession of the family lineage going back
to tribal ancestors. The seated woman on the gravestone, usually a representation of the
mother of the family unit, holds a special place of honor i n the funerary images, perhaps
because it was through her that the line of succession was continued. A woman who
bore legitimate heirs for her husband s oikos held a position of honor and respect.
A l l types of Classical relief sculpture exhibit qualities that are more conservative,
formulaic, and schematic than sculpture i n the round. While there is an overall unifor
mity i n depictions of the family groups, each grave marker does retain a modicum of
individuality and specificity. W i t h i n the conventions o f relief sculpture, a marble carver
would modify the characteristics of each work to satisfy the particular requirements of
its function and setting. Each Classical grave relief presents a different variant of tradi
tional elements, a unique combination of figures, gestures, accessories, and the individ
ual stylistic expression of the sculptor. Thus, we have no example of a particular scene
being replicated exactly on a second monument.
Many of the details of the clothing, attributes, and decorative architecture
must originally have been painted. A few monuments bear traces of the paint with
I N T R O D U C T I O N
3
which almost all were probably decorated. Coloring and patterning were important
i n all media i n Greek art; rank and social standing may have been more emphatically
explained by this treatment o f the clothing. Particular coloring or patterning o f the
garments o f the deceased may have enabled the visitor to the grave or the passerby to
identify immediately the most important figures. Besides the painting o f the relief
sculptures themselves, some monuments consist o f paintings on a flat marble surface
that i n several instances was then placed i n an architectural structure.
The grave marker itself was an object of veneration i n the funerary rituals o f
the Greeks, meaning different things at various times i n history. They were not mere
markers erected to preserve the memory of a departed family member, for they were
often anointed with oil, decorated w i t h ribbons, and given food offerings. Each became
a focus o f devotion, that is, functioned as a ritual object.
The oldest markers that have been identified from the earliest time that we think
of as Greek—the Geometric period (about 900720 B.C.)—are large terracotta vases.
They were decorated primarily with rows of geometrical designs and patterns, but some
also have human figures engaged mostly i n scenes o f warfare, w i t h a few picturing scenes
of special funerary rituals called ekphora and prothesis.
As soon as a person died, his
body was washed and laid out for a period o f family mourning and visitation, the prothesis. Then the body was carried i n a procession to the burial ground, the ekphora, again
accompanied by family members. Women played an essential role i n funerary rites; they
were especially needed for preparing the body and for vocalizing the grief that family
members felt at the death of one o f its own.
The lamentations o f the female members o f a household may also have fulfilled
a number o f social functions. Tombs themselves may have served as memory aids for
the inspiration o f lament singing, and groups o f burials may have occasioned extended
singing of laments for a number o f recent ancestors. Remembering the dead was only
one aspect o f lamentation; other elements might include expressing extreme grief or
perhaps evoking retribution. Lament singing was one means by which a family group
could express itself publicly by calling attention to the family burial plot w i t h its sculpted
funerary monuments, which grew i n size and splendor during the Classical period.
Ancient Greek society was highly structured, and burials i n the cemeteries reflect
this structure. Marble funerary monuments played a significant role i n providing both
inscriptional and visual identification o f the dead. The images chosen to stand above the
grave, or i n many cases to stand by the front wall o f a family burial plot, the
peribolos,
were erected by surviving family members. They projected a sense o f status and identity
i n addition to serving as a timeless and moving memorial, or mnemata,
o f the deceased.
Rivaling one another i n their display o f family status and wealth, the memorials lined
the major streets leading out of Athens and likewise the busy roads linking the settle
ments i n the outer demes of Attika. They marked the traditional religious and ritual
aspects o f the funeral cult o f ancestral tombs and, at the same time, were mediums o f
selfserving social propaganda.
By the end o f the fourth century B . C , the periholoi
o f the Kerameikos i n Athens
and o f individual sites i n the region around Athens appear to have reached a peak o f
elaborate display and then abruptly to have ceased. The Roman writer Cicero records
that a funerary law prohibiting extravagant display was passed i n Athens during the rule
of Demetrios o f Phaleron (318/317308/307 B . C ) . I t is unclear, however, whether
Cicero's account, written some three centuries after the reign o f Demetrios, accurately
reflects the situation i n Athens. Modern scholars have largely accepted the date as fact,
using it as an end point i n a constructed chronology o f sculptural style.
This catalogue is not the place for a lengthy discourse on the dating o f Greek
funerary monuments. Most o f the Athenian sculptures i n the catalogue are dated
conservatively, following the current practice o f placing those o f the Classical period
between about 420 and about 310 B.C. The date o f an individual monument within that
approximately onehundredyear period depends on a number o f factors, including
4 INTRODUCTION
i . Stele o f Moschion,
2. Naiskos o f Si me, cat. no. 21. Malibu 77.AA.89.
cat. no. 5. Malibu
3. Naiskos o f Demainete, cat.
4. Stele o f Poseides, cat. no. 40.
no. 24. Malibu 75.AA.63.
Malibu 79.AA.145.
71.AA.117.
style of drapery, proportion of figures, monument type, composition, and quality of
workmanship. A n overall stylistic progression has been established by numerous schol
r
Types o f grave stelai: i) stele with relief panel,
>
>
4) Acathus there.
2
M l m e n t a l
n a i s k o s
3) Flattopped naiskos,
ars during the past one hundred years through observation and comparison with dated
sculptures of all types carved during the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. The dates assigned
here to individual works should be considered i n general terms only, since specificity is
not valid for any but a few sculpted funerary monuments. I n most instances, a single
date with the qualifier of "about" is assigned here instead of a date range, because of
the belief that it is easier for the nonspecialist to relate to a date of, for example, "about
350 B . C , " rather than one of "360340 B.C."
Each catalogue entry contains basic information about the type of monument,
its measurements, the material from which i t is carved, and its general condition. When
ever possible, depending on the state of preservation o f the monument concerned, the
title of each catalogue entry designates the type of funerary monument. There are six
general types o f funerary monuments: 1) stelai, 2) lekythoi, 3) loutrophoroi, 4) funerary
animals, 5) anthemia, and 6) sirens. W i t h i n the first category, there appear to have been
a limited number of distinct types of stelai available to the ancient buyer, which proba
bly reflects patterns of production. The types are: 1) plain stelai, 2) stelai with relief
panel, 3) pedimental stelai, 4) naiskoi, 5) flattopped naiskoi, and 6) acanthus stelai.
2
Four o f these types are illustrated above by drawings o f monuments included i n the cata
logue. A naiskos is composed of several elements, including a scene carved i n relief
framed by architectural elements. A naiskos can be carved of one slab of marble or, i n
its most elaborate form, from several pieces and assembled i n imitation o f a small
I N T R O D U C T I O N
5
templelike structure with separately carved figures placed within. The complexity o f the
1
Athens, National Archaeological Museum 4889:
J. Boardman, Greek Sculpture: The Archaic
Period
(London, 1978), p. 73.
2
See D. W. Bradeen, The Athenian Agora, vol. 17,
Inscriptions:
The Funerary Monuments
1974), p. 1.
(Princeton,
stele type seems to reflect chronology as well as cost. That is, the earliest stelai tend to be
simplest i n form.
Taken as a group, the funerary monuments i n the Getty Museum are impres
sive not only as examples of original Greek sculpture but also as part of a body of impor
tant social documents for understanding ancient Greek culture. These memorials still
speak to us and hold our interest millennia after the individuals for w h o m they were
erected lived and died. The monuments are appreciated for their depictions of indi
viduals and families, similar yet so different from our own. We can relate to the expres
sions of tenderness and sorrow on some, to the heroism evident on others, and to their
family portraits.
6
I N T R O D U C T I O N
Attic Funerary Sculpture
THE
i.
CLASSICAL
Grave Stele of a Young Woman
with Her Parents
PERIOD
female figure facing left. A handshake (dexiosis),
most frequently
seen between a seated and a standing figure, is a very common
gesture on Attic funerary monuments o f the Classical period. I t
is such a ubiquitous gesture that it has prompted analysis and
About 420 B.C.
interpretation by various scholars.
7
Since a handshake m o t i f
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 77.5 cm
appears also among the contractual parties on Attic decree reliefs,
(30V2 in.); W i d t h : 51.4 cm (20V4 in.); Depth: 11.4 cm (4V4 in.)
some have suggested that it may express an oath or contrac
tual relationship between the living and the dead. I t seems more
83.AA.206
probable, however, that the handshake i n funerary scenes physi
cally symbolizes the bond between family members i n Attic soci
CONSERVATION
ety, even i n death.
Reconstructed as complete from four joining fragments.
The heads of the two women are largely broken away. The
The upper right pediment corner and both lower corners are
missing. Chips along the edges, especially at the left and on the
woman to right wears a dress w i t h a cloak that envelops her. Her
surface o f all three figures. The heads o f the figures are broken
left hand slightly holds out the edge of the cloak at shoulder level
off and appear to have been deliberately defaced. The rough
i n a gesture associated w i t h married women. The gesture is quite
picked back is probably the original surface. The sides and
front surface at the b o t t o m retain marks o f the tooth chisel.
commonly seen on adult women who can otherwise be identified
The marble is micaceous and, therefore, probably Pentelic.
as married; it maybe a reference to the ritual unveiling of the bride
Weathering has caused the stone to discolor to light brown.
at weddings (anakalypteria)
The carved surfaces have become blurred from weathering,
a cloak. Her left arm and hand are completely hidden under the
and incrustations further obscure the original crispness o f
. The woman to left wears a dress and
8
folds o f the cloak, which falls down to form a m o t i f called the
the carving.
"hanging sleeve." This is a recurring m o t i f seen w i t h girls, boys,
PROVENANCE
and young women placed on the right side o f a composition.
Gift of Vasek Polak, Hermosa Beach, California.
These figures are wrapped so completely i n a large cloak that it
hangs over the left side of the body, covering the left arm and form
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ing a "hanging sleeve." This feature helps secure her identity as
9
J. Frel et a l , "Acquisitions/1983," GettyMusJ 12 (1984): 235,
the daughter of the couple at the left. Even though the head is
no. 8; Meyer 1989, p. 49 n . 3; Clairmont 1993, 3: 69, no. 3.172;
largely missing from this figure, the outline of the original form
Scholl 1996, p. 342, no. 448, pi. 30.1.
against the background remains. The back o f her head is smooth
A S I M P L E triangular pediment above a slightly
and continuous w i t h the fold of her cloak. A n edge of the cloak
recessed figural area. The flat front of the pediment may originally
was probably drawn up over her head. The upper back of the fig
have had a painted inscription and a floral design, although no
ure is carved i n a manner consistent w i t h the fabric o f the cloak
STELE W I T H
10
trace o f them remains today. There is a stele i n the collection of
on her body. Soles are indicated on the feet of both women; since
the eleventh Earl of Elgin at Broomhall i n Dunfermline, Scotland,
no toes are carved, the women probably are wearing shoes rather
which is entirely painted on a simple marble slab w i t h a triangu
than sandals.
1
11
lar top. I n addition to a painted figure, there is i n the center of the
The great Athenian building project o f the 440s and early
triangular area a painted pediment w i t h akroteria (statues or dec
430s B.C.—the Parthenon—influenced sculpture of all types, even
orative elements placed at the ridge or corners of a pitched r o o f ) .
modest grave reliefs such as this one. We see echoes of the seated
2
At the left of the composition, a bearded male figure sits
gods on the East Frieze of the Parthenon i n the relaxed pose of
slightly slouched i n a chair. He is wrapped i n a cloak, leaving his
the seated male figure here. The broad shape of the stele w i t h its
right arm, shoulder, and chest bare. His right hand rests at his
plain triangular top and the rich, plastic quality of the drapery
side on the seat o f the chair, his left is raised w i t h the fingers i n a
folds suggest a date one or two decades after the Parthenon frieze.
position consistent w i t h holding a staff, which would have been
I n general, the drapery follows the spirit of the Parthenon frieze
painted. He wears soft shoes or boots; the absence of carved toes
i n revealing and modeling the forms of the body.
3
4
speaks against bare feet. The posture, beard, and slightly sagging
5
pectoral muscles of this figure identify h i m as an older man.
6
Placed just to the right and partly behind h i m stands a
female figure to right who shakes hands w i t h a second standing
8
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
12
Though a modest gravestone, the figures have a simple
elegance reflective of this period. The stone would have marked
the grave of a young woman ripe for marriage who died before
she could wed.
Cat. no. i . Grave stele of a young woman with her parents. Malibu 83.AA.206.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Cf. the stele of Myttion, 78.AA.57, cat. no. 3.
Clairmont 1993,1:166, no. 0.836. Clairmont does not mention the painted
pediment, but I had the opportunity to examine the stone at Broomhall in
1998 and verify its existence.
The chair is the regular type of klismos with a curved back and plain, curved
legs. See Richter 1966, pp. 33.37.
A seated male figure on a monument in Athens of the same period is similar
in pose and in the staff that he holds, although there the staff is carved: Clair
mont 1993, 4:17778, no. 5.650.
Morrow 1985, pp. 6768.
Meyer 1989, pp. 48, 6674.
7
E.g., G. Davies, "The Significance of the Handshake Motif in Classical Funer
ary Axt"American Journal of Archaeology 89 (1985): 62740; E. G. Pemberton,
"The Dexiosis on Attic Gravestones," Mediterranean Archaeology 2 (1989): 4 5
50; G. Davies, "The Language of Gesture in Greek Art: Gender and Status on
Grave Stelai," Apollo, 1994: 611, esp. p. 10; Benson 1996, pp. 18788.
8 Stears 1995, pp. 11920.
9 Benson 1996, pp. 12427.
10 There are no remnants of long hair falling down her back as Clairmont main
tains: Clairmont 1993,3: 69, no. 3.172.
11 Morrow 1985, p. 64.
12 Cf. esp. Hermes, Dionysos, and Zeus. M . Robertson, The Parthenon Frieze
(New York, 1975), East iv, figs. 2425, and East v,fig.30.
THE
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
9
2.
Grave Naiskos of a Seated Woman
with a Standing Attendant
behind the roll across her forehead. I n front of her ears, several
locks of hair fall loose from the head covering. The costume o f
longsleeved chiton and head covered by a sakkos invariably rep
resents an attendant slave. The attendant holds her right hand to
5
About 410 B.C.
her cheek i n a gesture o f mourning. Her left arm is extended
6
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 71.5 c m
along the side of her body, and i n that hand she holds a rectangu
(28Vs in.); W i d t h : 69.2 cm (27V4 in.); Depth: 6.4 cm (2V2 in.)
lar object, probably a mirror, for this scene is evocative of images
73.AA.115
ment of a bride by several attendant figures, one of w h o m invari
of bridal preparation. Such scenes feature the dressing and adorn
ably holds a mirror. The theme of an attendant helping to adorn
CONSERVATION
The marble is weathered w i t h some losses and chips o n the
her mistress is common i n the iconography o f Athenian grave
figures, especially on the head o f the seated woman. The marble
stones. Bridal iconography on grave monuments is an example of
is micaceous and, therefore, probably Pentelic. The surface
a connection between marriage and death, which seems to have
of the marble is slick and shiny i n a manner consistent w i t h
been prevalent i n Greek art of this time.
its having been treated w i t h acid. There are white accretions,
7
Supporting a date for the relief at the end o f the fifth
especially evident i n the folds o f the drapery. The original
depth o f the two Getty fragments (see b e l o w ) has been reduced
century are the cordlike folds o f the drapery behind the seated
in modern times by sawing. The back o f the Kanellopoulos
woman's right knee and calf as well as the transparency o f both
fragment preserves the original rough surface that was made
women's dresses, especially over the breasts. Comparable drapery
by a point chisel.
is seen on a figure of Athena on a document relief i n Paris dated
409405 B.C. The softly curving neckline of the seated woman's
8
PROVENANCE
dress, the series o f Vshaped folds that become vertical folds
Unknown.
between the breasts, and the filmy quality of the cloak drawn up
BIBLIOGRAPHY
over the back of her head framing her neck are all characteristic of
The J. Paul Getty Museum Guidebook (Malibu, 1975), pp. 21, 32;
the period. Similar features are seen o n one of the most beautiful
ibid. (Malibu, 1976), pp. 25, 39 (with a cast o f the Kanellopoulos
fragment added); ibid. (Malibu, 1978), p. 47.
M.A.
and wellknown Classical gravestones from Athens, that o f
Hegeso. The Getty stone was carved i n the same period as the
9
Zagdoun, "Collection Paul Kanellopoulos, x i :
Sculptures," Bulletin de Correspondance hellenique 102 (1978):
Hegeso monument, although i t is o f slightly lesser quality and,
29192; Frel 1979a, p. 16, no. 63; H . Thickpenny, "A Fragment
unfortunately, not nearly as well preserved. Nevertheless, these
of an Attic Grave Stele i n the Getty Museum," GettyMusJ 8
worn fragments subtly convey a shared moment, a glimpse o f
(1980): 101 n. 10; Vermeule 1981, p. 95, no. 64; O. Cavalier, "La
domestic intimacy.
Stele des adieux," Les Cahiers deMariemont
2021 (19891990):
1316, fig. 10; Clairmont 1993, 2:12223, no. 2.186; Benson 1996,
pp. 1034, 230, no. 74, fig. 77; Bergemann 1997, p. 53 n. 193, p.
85 n . 169, p. 160, no. 72, pi. 17.3.
1
T w o J O I N I N G F R A G M E N T S o f the back panel o f a large naiskos;
a third joining fragment o f this monument is i n the Kanellopou
los Museum i n Athens. One fragment preserves the upper body
2
1
and head o f a seated woman, the other fragment preserves her
3
knees and the midsection o f a standing woman. The Kanel
lopoulos Museum fragment preserves the head and shoulders of
the standing figure. The panel would have been framed by a sepa
4
rately carved architectural structure.
At the left of the composition sits a woman on a chair fac
ing right. She wears a dress with a cloak pulled up over the back
2
of her head. Her hair is bound at the back with a broad headband
(opisthosphendone),
and she wears a large round earring. She is
3
5
6
in the act of opening a lidded box, probably holding jewelry, on
her lap. A female figure facing left stands i n front of the seated
4
7
See J. M. Barringer, Divine Escorts: Nereids in Archaic and Classical Art (Ann
Arbor, 1995), pp. 1027.
8
9
Musee du Louvre Ma 831: Hamiaux 1992, p. 140, no. 132.
Supra, note 3.
woman. This second woman wears a longsleeved dress. Her hair
is drawn back from her face under a head covering {sakkos),
which
is tied by a cord brought forward from her nape over her ear and
10
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
Athens, Kanellopoulos Museum 1168: M.A. Zagdoun, "Collection Paul
Kanellopoulos, xi: Sculptures," Bulletin de Correspondance hellenique 102
(1978): 29192,fig.5.
The curved back that remains of the chair probably belongs to a regular kind
of klismos, which would have had curved legs. See Richter 1966, pp. 3337.
Cf. the funerary stele of Hegeso, whose hair is bound by an opisthosphendone
and partially covered with a thin veil, Athens, National Archaeological
Museum 3624: D. BuitronOliver, The Greek Miracle: Classical Sculpture from
the Dawn of Democracy: The Fifth Century B.C. (Washington, D.C., 1992),
pp. 15051, no. 33; Clairmont 1993, 2: 9598, no. 2.150.
On the box, see E. Briimmer, "Griechische Truhenbehalter," Jahrbuch des
Deutschen Archaologischen Instituts 100 (1985): 1168, esp. figs. 27c and 39b.
A comparable chest with no legs is held by the attendant figure on a stele in
the Karpanos collection in Athens, National Archaeological Museum 965:
Clairmont 1993, 2: 528, no. 2.424.
See Reilly 1989, pp. 41617.
See Neumann 1965, pp. 12830. A comparable figure of a servant with her
hand held to her cheek is seen on a stele in Athens, National Archaeological
Museum 4006: Clairmont 1993,1: 44748, no. 1.797.
Cat. no. 2. Two fragments o f a grave naiskos, Malibu 73.AA.n5, with a cast o f a joining third fragment
(upper right) in the Kanellopoulos Museum in Athens.
THE
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
11
3.
Grave Stele ofMyttion
5: 7; Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 324, s.v. M y t t i o n ; Moltesen
1995, p. 83; Scholl 1996, p. 194 n. 1286, p. 198 n. 1312, p. 341,
no. 444; Bodel and Tracy 1997, p. 6; M . C. Miller, Athens and
About 400 B . C .
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; polychromy; Height:
Persia in the Fifth Century B.C: A Study in Cultural
Receptivity
(New York, 1997), p. 169, fig. 90; B. Babler, Fleifiige
Thrakerinnen
und wehrhafte Skythen: Nichtgriechen im klassischen Athen und
71 cm (28 in.); W i d t h : 24 cm (9V2 in.); Depth: 9 cm (3V2 in.)
ihre archaologische Hinterlassenschaft
(Stuttgart and Leipzig,
1998), pp. 2732.
78.AA.57
CONSERVATION
S T E L E W I T H A T R I A N G U L A R P E D I M E N T and a slightly recessed
Complete except for a chip at the left lower front. The marble
is micaceous and, therefore, probably Pentelic. Weathering has
caused the stone to discolor to pale beige. The b o t t o m surface
figural area. The pediment was originally decorated w i t h a painted
design of rolls of tainiai and a decorative floral border called a
Tainiai were long ribbons o f fabric that were tied
retains its original rough finish made by a point chisel; i n the
kymation.
ancient cemetery the stele would have been set into a base for
around funerary monuments. Faint remains are visible of the
2
display. The inscription was added i n paint that has now faded,
name of the deceased, which was originally painted above her
but it has left slightly raised, lighter marks on the stone. Traces
head on the pediment:
of red pigment remain on the shoes.
MYTTION
PROVENANCE
"Myttion"
Formerly i n the collection o f Thomas Bruce, seventh Earl o f
Elgin and eleventh Earl o f Kincardine, Broomhall, Dunferm
1
line, Scotland.
The name M y t t i o n is not otherwise found i n the epigraphic and
literary corpora.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The young woman stands i n a threequarter frontal pose
The J. Paul Getty Museum Guidebook (Los Angeles, 1954),
pp. 2122, no. 5; ibid. (Los Angeles, 1956), p. 13, no. 5; ibid.
facing right. Her long hair is brushed back from her face and
(Malibu, 1974), p. 12; ibid. (Malibu, 1975), p. 32; ibid. (Malibu,
fashioned into a braid wrapped around her head. I n her left hand
1976), p. 39; ibid. (Malibu, 1978), p. 45; ibid. (Malibu, 1980),
she holds out a b i r d . The m o t i f of a young person holding a b i r d
p. 33; The J. Paul Getty Museum Handbook of the Collections
(Malibu, 1986), p. 11.
is common on Attic gravestones. I n addition to being a common
pet, the b i r d may represent the life of the deceased. Myttions feet
4
Corpus inscriptionum Atticarum
(Berlin, 18731897), 2:
4000; A . Michaelis, "Ancient Marbles i n Great Britain," JHS 5
are shod i n soft shoes, for soles are indicated, but the toes are
(1884): 14361, esp. 14849, no. 6; A. Conze, Die attischen
indistinct. She wears an unusual costume consisting o f a long
5
Grabreliefs (Berlin, 1893), i ' 819, p i . 156; E. Guhl, Leben der
dress beneath a longsleeved threequarter length coat called a
Griechen und Romer (Berlin, 1893), pp. 293, 295, fig. 370;
kandys.
A. H . Smith, "Lord Elgin and His Collection," JHS 36 (1916):
Athenian women at the end o f the fifth century B . C , when increas
The kandys originated i n Persia and was
6
286 n. 228, p. 293, no. 23; G. M . A. Richter, The Sculpture and
Sculptors of the Greeks, 3rd edn. (New Haven, 1950), p. 91; ibid.,
4th edn. (New Haven, 1970), p. 60; J. P. Getty and E. LeVane,
adopted by
ing imports from Asia M i n o r influenced fashion. The
7
kandys
was a symbol o f luxury at the time o f its introduction to Athens
Collectors Choice (London, 1955), p. 202; Vermeule 1955, p. 132;
since, from all accounts, i t was sometimes adorned w i t h gold
Getty et al. 1965, pp. 61, 68; Stothart 1965, p. 25 [as 172];
plaques and elaborate borders and was, therefore, an expensive
M . del Chiaro, Greek Art in Private Collections in Southern
and unusual item. M y t t i o n s special clothing and the b i r d she holds
California, 2nd edn. (Santa Barbara, 1966), no. 17; J. Frel,
"Ateliers et sculpteurs attiques fin 5
e m e
debut 4
e m e
(1966): 90, no. 8; J. Frel, Les Sculpteurs attiques
s.," Eirene 5
suggest that she is taking part i n some ritual of a religious nature.
8
There are no k n o w n closely comparable grave m o n u
anonymes,
430-300 B.C. (Prague, 1969), p. 21, no. 77; A . Kaloyeropoulou,
ments for the iconography, although occasionally attendant fig
"Duo attika epitymbia anaglypha," Archaiologikon Deltion 24
ures on stelai dated after the middle of the fourth century B . C . are
(1969): 227 n . 79, p. 259; ibid. 29 (1974): 196, 21415; IG n ,
shown wearing a kandys.
12220; J. Frel, "The Telemachos Workshop," GettyMusJ 2 (1975):
to stelai i n Athens and Copenhagen.
2
15, no. 2, p. 16; B. Kingsley, "The Stele o f M y t t i o n , " GettyMusJ 2
(i975) 714; R Stupperich, Staatsbegrabnis und
Privatgrabmal
im klassichen Athen (Minister, 1977), p. 123 n. 7, p. 179, no. 475;
Frel 1979a, p. 16, no. 64; Frel 1979b, p. 43, no. 64; Woysch
9
The form of the monument is similar
10
The style of the drapery
points to a date at the t u r n of the fourth century, for the garments
are no longer transparent, and the fabric folds are angular and
sweeping. The fabric of her undergarment lies closer over her
Meautis 1982, p. 111, no. 78 [as 172]; T. Linders, "The Kandys
right lower leg; noteworthy are the broad expanses uninterrupted
i n Greece and Persia," Opuscula Atheniensia 15 (1984): 109,113;
by folds, and the way the knee and leg are framed by the fold at
K. Yfantidis, Die Polychromie der hellenistischen Plastik (Mainz,
the left.
1984), p. 20 n. 60 [as 172; name misspelled as M y t h i o n ] ;
Vedder 1985, pp. 2728, no. F 44; SEG 37.189; Butz 1987,
Appendix B, p. 207; A . PekridouGorecki, Mode im antiken
Griechenland: Textile Fertigung und Kleidung ( M u n i c h , 1989),
pp. 11920, fig. 72; Clairmont 1993,1: 26970, no. 1.224; ibid.,
12
3
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
11
The isolation o f a single figure against the flat expanse
of the background was also popular i n this period. The pose,
composition, and a certain starkness are suggestive of a somber
and perhaps plaintive mood.
Cat. no. 3. Grave stele o f Myttion. Malibu 78.AA.57.
THE
C L A S S I C A L
PERIOD
13
1
Thomas Bruce, seventh Earl of Elgin and eleventh Earl of Kincardine, was
British ambassador to Constantinople in the late eighteenth century; he was
the Earl of Elgin who removed significant portions of the sculptural decora
tion from the Temple of Athena Parthenos (the Parthenon) on the Acropolis
in Athens, bringing them to England. See W. St. Clair, Lord Elgin and the Marbles (Oxford, 1998).
2
See B. Kingsley, "The Stele of Myttion," GettyMusJ 2 (1975): 78, for a list of
monuments with painted tainiai. The design, which can be seen on the left
under a raking light, was visible when Alexander Conze compiled his corpus
of Attic gravestones, including the monument of Myttion: A. Conze, Die attischen Grabreliefs (Berlin, 1893), 1: 819, pi. 156.
A search of Davies 1971 and Osborne and Byrne 1994 revealed no other
instances of the name Myttion.
See WoyschMeautis 1982, pp. 3953, nos. 65255. The closest comparatives
to our gravestone are p. 113, no. 103, pi. 18 (Athens, National Archaeological
Museum, Karpanos collection 963), and p. 116, no. 136, pi. 22 (stele of
Timarete in London, British Museum 1947.714.1).
Morrow 1985, pp. 86 87.
On the costume, see E. R. Knauer, "Toward a History of the Sleeved Coat: A
Study of the Impact of an Ancient Eastern Garment on the West," Expedition
21 (1978): 1836, who traces the history of the costume down to recent times;
eadem, "Ex Oriente Vestimenta: Trachtgeschichtliche Beobachtungen zur
Armelmantel und Armeljacke," in Aufstieg und Niedergang der romischen Welt
2.12.3 (Berlin, 1985), pp. 578741, 739 addition to n. 95, esp. pp. 61721 for
Greek examples; and A. PekridouGorecki, Mode im antiken Griechenland:
Textile Fertigung undKleidung (Munich, 1989), pp. 11920.
3
4
5
6
7
Cat. no. 3. Detail o f the grave stele o f Myttion showing
the outline of the rolled tainia in the left pedimental
corner.
8
9
Drawing o f the inscription on the grave stele o f Myttion.
14
AT T I C F U N E R A R Y
SCULPTURE
M . C. Miller, Athens and Persia in the Fifth Century B.C: A Study in Cultural
Receptivity (New York, 1997), pp. 165.70. There is a terracotta figure of the
late fifth century B . C , found on the Acropolis, wearing a kandys over a chiton.
See F. Winter, in "Sitzungsberichte der archaologischen Gesellschaft zu Berlin,
1893," Archdologischer Anzeiger 8 (1893): 147,fig.30.
The costume may indicate a connection with the Dionysiac festival of the
Anthesteria. See SEG 34.119, lines 1516. Some of the children depicted on
fifthcentury redfigured choes made for the Anthesteria wear the kandys.
E.g., a chous in Paris, Musee du Louvre CA 2527: G. Van Hoorn, Choes and
Anthesteria (Leiden, 1957), pp. 17172, no. 842, fig. 87. On the festival, see also
E. Simon, Festivals ofAttika: An Archaeological Commentary (Madison, 1983),
pp. 9299; and R. Hamilton, Choes and Anthesteria: Athenian Iconography
and Ritual (Ann Arbor, 1992). The kandys is also listed in dedication records
at the sanctuary of Artemis at Brauron. The latest recorded dedication of a
kandys to Artemis is dated 347/346 B . C , attesting to the survival of the fashion
for more than half a century: T. Linders, "The Kandys in Greece and Persia,"
Opuscula Atheniensia 15 (1984): 10722. Arguing against the idea of the kandys
symbolizing luxury or special status is B. Babler, Fleifiige Thrakerinnen und
wehrhafte Skythen: Nichtgriechen im klassischen Athen und ihre archaologische
Hinterlassenschaft (Stuttgart and Leipzig, 1998), pp. 3132, who interprets the
jacket as clothing associated with nonAttic and slave status.
E.g., on a stele in Princeton University, The Art Museum V204: B. S. Ridgway,
Greek Sculpture in the Art Museum, Princeton University: Greek Originals,
Roman Copies and Variants (Princeton, 1994), pp. 2427, no. 6. Miller (supra,
note 7), p. 186, explains its appearance on later monuments for maids as the
adoption of the once elite symbol by the lower orders long after it had ceased
to be fashionable among wealthy Athenian women.
10 Athens, National Archaeological Museum 4991: Clairmont 1993, 4:17273,
no. 5.480; Copenhagen, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek 448: Moltesen 1995, pp. 8 2
83, no. 26.
11 Cf. the grave relief of Megisto and Eratoxenos in Houston, the Menil Collec
tion 7032DJ: Clairmont 1993,1: 41516, no. 1.695.
4.
Grave Stele ofPhiloxenos with
His Wife Philoumene
with a tall, incised brush; the visor is pushed up, and there are no
cheekpieces. He wears a shortsleeved tunic under a cuirass with
4
y
a double row of pteryges.
5
Since his toes are not defined and there
appears to be the line of a sole under his right foot, he is probably
About 400 B.C.
wearing boots that would originally have been detailed with
Finegrained white marble with mica; Height: 102.2 cm
(40V4 in.); Width: 44.5 cm (17V2 in.); Depth: 16.5 cm (6V2 in.)
83.AA.378
paint. W i t h his left hand, he holds a round shield by a grip that
6
originally would have been painted. The broad r i m of the shield is
carved i n relief and forms a background to Philoxenos s torso.
7
He extends his right hand to shake that of Philoumene, his wife.
8
Philoumene wears a dress with a cloak that falls gracefully
CONSERVATION
The stele is complete, with only minor chips. The marble is
micaceous and, therefore, probably Pentelic. Weathering has
caused the stone to discolor to a golden brown. The bottom
and back of the stone retain their original roughpicked
surfaces made by the point chisel. There are marks of the tooth
chisel on the background and on the top of the stele.
from her left shoulder to the floor. Her hair is encircled twice by a
band, and the locks are gathered at the back of the head, where they
are wrapped i n an ornamental hair covering. A few short curls are
brought forward i n front of her left ear. Her slightly oval face has
a full jaw and lips. Her eyes are thicklidded. A single Venus ring
marks her neck. Venus rings are indentations i n the flesh of a girls
PROVENANCE
or woman's neck. They are probably a status symbol, indicating
Unknown.
good health and nutrition. They appear most commonly on young
unmarried females and therefore, probably, also indicate fertility,
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The J. Paul Getty Museum Handbook of the Collections
(Malibu, 1986), p. 29; ibid. (Malibu, 1991), p. 22.
Artemis Group, Consolidated Audited Annual Report
1981/1982 (Luxembourg, 1983), pp. 8—9; J. Frel et al.,
"Acquisitions/1983," GettyMusJ 12 (1984): 234, no. 7; SEG
34.234; K. Manchester, The Grave Relief of Philoxenos and
Philomene (M.A. thesis, University of California, Los Angeles,
1986); Butz 1987, Appendix B, p. 209; I . ValleraRickerson and
M . Korma, "Merika ellenika ekthemata tou Mouseiou Getty,"
Archaiologia 43 (1992): 85, no. 5; Clairmont 1993,2: 8485, no.
2.121; Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 458, no. 69, s.v. Philoxenos,
and p. 460, no. 28, s.v. Philoumene; Bergemann 1997, p. 63 n.
305, p. 160, no. 73, p. 216, no. 27, pi. 15.1; Bodel and Tracy 1997,
p. 6; Masterpieces of the J. Paul Getty Museum: Antiquities
(Los Angeles, 1997), p. 49; J. B. Grossman, "Family
Relationships on Two Grave Reliefs from the Athenian Agora,"
in Les Pierres de VOffrande, ed. G. Hoffman, p. 121 (Zurich,
2001); M . Yalom, A History of the Wife (New York, 2001), p. 17.
but they are occasionally seen on children and young men. They
become a standard feature i n the iconography of women on grave
stones from the time of the Parthenon on (built 448432 B . C ) ,
probably due to the influence of the Parthenon sculptures on other
types of sculpted monuments.
9
The sole of Philoumene s left sandal is carved; the straps
would have been added i n paint. Her stance is unusual i n having
10
one leg pulled back behind the other so that her second foot is
completely hidden.
11
Philoxenos must have fallen i n battle since he is repre
sented wearing a helmet and cuirass. He is shaking hands with
12
his wife, Philoumene, both to take leave and to symbolize eternal
u n i o n . The scene reminds us of departure scenes, although here
13
the husband and wife seem to be gazing at one another; Philou
mene does not lower her head i n the gesture of submissive mod
esty thought appropriate to a wellbred Athenian woman. While
14
this monument belongs to a small group of twofigured reliefs
STELE W I T H S L I G H T L Y R O U N D E D top and a triangular pedi
composed of a man and a woman standing facing one another, it
ment complete with akroteria, i n low relief. The architrave is
is notable for its pictorial formality with strong symmetry and
inscribed:
linear repetitions.
1
15
I n terms of iconography and style, two other grave mon
OIAOSENOX O I A O < T > M [ E ] N H
uments are very close parallels to this stele. The three may have
"Philoxenos Philo(u)mene"
been carved i n the same workshop, for the figures on them exhibit
16
similar stances with a sharp bend of the knees and a similar flat,
The names Philoxenos and Philoumene are found i n several other
inscriptions from Athens and its surrounding area of Attika.
2
The figures are placed on a plinth i n a recessed area
compressed carving style. The monuments fit both stylistically
and iconographically with grave reliefs executed just after the end
of the Peloponnesian War i n 404 B.C. A renewed appreciation for
below the architrave. Philoxenos, a bearded man i n armor,
family life blossomed i n the waning years of that disastrous war
stands at the left i n right profile with his weight on his right leg,
with Sparta, and funerary reliefs reflect this.
his left leg drawn back. O n his head is an Attic helmet adorned
3
THE
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
15
Drawing of the inscription on the grave stele o f Philoxenos.
1
2
3
4
5
6
16
There is a vertical stroke between the two names, which Stroud (SEG 34.234)
suggests might be a punctuation mark. But the mark is not so much engraved
as scratched upon the surface of the stone. Clairmont 1993, 2: 8485, no. 2.121,
may well be correct in his suggestion that the stroke may be a centering mark.
Philoxenos is attested in five other inscriptions of the fifth century B.C. in
Athens; once in the deme of Diomeia; and once in the tribe Aigeis. In the
fourth century B.C. Philoxenos is attested once at Athens, once each in the
demes of Agryle, Aithalidai, Alopeke, Daidalidai, Eleusis, Halai, Kephisia,
Peiraieus, Potamos, Thorikos, and Trinemeia. See Osborne and Byrne 1994,
p. 458, s.v. Philoxenos. In the fourth century B . C , Philoumene is attested
eleven times at Athens, twice in the deme of Dekeleia, and once each in the
demes of Eleusis, Kephale, Kolonos, Kydathenaion, Marathon, and Skam
bonidai. See Osborne and Byrne 1994, pp. 45960, s.v. Philoumene.
See K. Stemmer, Untersuchungen zur Typologie, Chronologie und Ikonographie
der Panzerstatuen (Berlin, 1978), pp. 13148, for a short history of the develop
ment of the armored statue type.
The Attic helmet was developed in the sixth century B.C. as part of a general
trend to lighten armor and make a soldier more mobile. See H. Pfulg, Antike
Helme (Cologne, 1989), pp. 2425; A. M . Snodgrass, Arms and Armour of the
Greeks (Ithaca, N.Y., 1967), p. 69.
The cuirass is of the Ionian type developed 520470 B.C.: C. C. Vermeule,
"Hellenistic and Roman Cuirassed Statues," Berytus 13 (1959): 1213.
Morrow 1985, pp. 6 4 6 8 .
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
In his corpus, Clairmont lists the monuments that depict warriors according
to the various implements of armor they wear. Out of 211 listed, only five oth
ers show a warrior with a helmet, cuirass, and shield, like Philoxenos: Clair
mont 1993, 6:16971, nos. 2.413, 2.415, 2.443, 3422, and 3.930.
On the gesture, called dexiosis, between a standing man and a woman, see
Grossman 1995, pp. 2045.
Ridgway 1981, pp. xix, 53.
Morrow 1985, p. 58.
I could find only one other grave monument with a comparable stance, in
Paris, Musee du Louvre Ma 780: Hamiaux 1992, p. 154, no. 148.
The bestknown monument of a warrior on foot is that of Aristonautes in
Athens, National Archaeological Museum 738: B. Ridgway, "Aristonautes'
Stele, Athens Nat. Mus. 738," in Kotinos: Festschrift fur Erika Simon, ed.
H. Froning, R. Holscher, and H. Mielsch, pp. 27075 (Mainz, 1992).
See cat. no. 1, note 7, and supra, note 8.
Departure scenes are well attested on redfigured vases. See vases in St. Peters
burg, Warsaw, and Syracuse in Reeder 1995, pp. 15460, nos. 18,19, and 20.
On aidos and sophrosyne as the proper qualities in a wife, see Reeder 1995,
pp. 12326.
Grossman 1995, pp. 20413.
The first is in Athens, National Archaeological Museum 3379: Clairmont 1993,
3: 68, no. 3.171. The second is divided between New York, Shelby White and
Leon Levy collection, and Brauron, Museum BE 6: C. W. Clairmont, Classical
Attic Tombstones, suppl. vol. (Kilchberg, 1995) p. 67, nos. 3.195 and 3.200.
Cat. no. 4. Crave stele o f Philoxenos with his wife, Philoumene. Malibu 83.AA.378.
THE
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
17
5.
Grave Stele ofMoschion
with His Dog
About 375 B.C.
MOXXIQN
PAMNO<T>XIOI
"Moschion (from) Rhamnous"
The inscription is somewhat unusual i n including the name
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 61.5 cm
of Moschions deme (demotic), but not the name of his father
(24V4 in.); W i d t h : 29.5 cm (ii /s in.); Depth: 6.4 cm (2V2 in.)
(patronymic). The name Moschion is attested both at Athens
5
2
and i n many demes of Attika.
73.AA.117
CONSERVATION
3
Moschion from the deme of Rhamnous is depicted as a
nude chubby boy who stands facing left. His hair is short and
The stele is complete except for a break at the very bottom.
curly. He holds his left arm at his side with the index finger
There are chips along the top molding and along the sides at
extended. He stretches his right hand, which holds a bird, toward
the front. The marble is micaceous and, therefore, probably
a dog at the left, who balances on his hind legs on a rounded ob
Pentelic. Weathering has caused the stone to discolor to a light
ject, possibly a rock. Boys holding birds toward dogs might seem
golden b r o w n . Toothchisel marks are preserved on the front at
the b o t t o m and on the sides. The top o f the stele has a weathered
cruel but the gesture, which is seen only on funerary monuments,
toothchisel finish. The original thickness o f the stone has been
is perhaps symbolic of the fragility of life. Folds of a long cloak
reduced i n modern times by cutting out the central part o f the
rest on the boys left shoulder; most of it falls along his back
back, leaving just an outer border o f the original roughpicked
and ends i n a pile on the ground behind h i m . The dog is the
surface, which was made by a point chisel.
4
5
short, curlyhaired type most frequently depicted on ancient
funerary monuments. I t is a Canis melitaeus, or Maltese, a breed
PROVENANCE
Unknown.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The /. Paul Getty Museum Guidebook (Malibu, 1974), p. 12;
ibid. (Malibu, 1975), p. 32; ibid. (Malibu, 1976), p. 40.
A. Oikonomides, "Two Attic Funerary Stelai i n the J. Paul
Getty Museum," GettyMusJ 2 (1975): 5456; Frel 1979a, p. 19,
mentioned i n ancient literary sources and shown i n graphic rep
resentations. I n modern breeds, this type of dog is more like a
Spitz than a Maltese.
6
The gravestone of this boy, who is approximately three to
five years old, is easily placed within the tradition of Attic funerary
stelai depicting male children. The type with a nude boy or youth
7
no. 70; B. Petrakos, "Nees ereuves ston Rhamnounta,"
wearing a cloak draped on one shoulder was popular from the
Archaiologike Ephemeris, 1979: 2829; SEG 30.223; Woysch
end of the fifth to the end of the fourth century B.C.
8
Meautis 1982, p. 120, no. 201a; Butz 1987, Appendix B, p. 206;
A monument such as this with its indifferent carving and
C. W. Clairmont, " T t ain't necessarily so': Remarks on Some
similarity to a large number of other examples has no distinctive
Gravestones w i t h Inscriptions," Horos 5 (1987): 4547, no. 1;
SEG 37.186; Clairmont 1993,1:195, no. 0.877; idem, intro. vol.,
p. 83; Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 320, no. 61, s.v. Moschion;
stylistic characteristics of a type useful for dating. I t was probably
made i n a sculptural workshop that specialized i n gravestones,
Scholl 1996, p. 117 nn. 79899, p. 118, p. 122 n. 834, p. 182 n. 1231,
and only the inscription giving the name of the deceased would
p. 342, no. 447, p i . 33.2; Bergemann 1997, p. 80 n. 115, p. 145 n.
have been specifically commissioned. The relatively low relief
129; Bodel and Tracy 1997, p. 6.
and the profile pose, which is replaced by more frontal or three
quarter renderings later i n the century, suggest a tentative
S T E L E W I T H A F L A T T O P crowned by a molding composed o f
chronology within the first half o f the fourth century B.C. A
9
two elements separated by an incised straight line. The figures are
gravestone i n Paris offers the closest parallel to this monument i n
placed i n a shallow recessed panel whose upper corners are carved
terms of style and iconography. Something slightly odd strikes
10
in the outline of antecapitals. These architectural elements—the
one about this work: a small boy confined i n a small space playing
antas topped by capitals—which frame the niche on this stele,
but somehow not seeming playful.
would probably originally have been further delineated with
painted details. The stele tapers inward from bottom to top. The
1
name and deme of the deceased are inscribed on the stele between
the molding and the figural panel.
18 ATTIC FUNERARY SCULPTURE
Cat. no. 5. Crave stele o f Moschion. Malibu 73.AA.n7.
T H E
C L A S S I C A L
P E R I O D
19
Detail o f the inscription on the grave stele o f Moschion.
1
For painting of Classical Attic funerary sculpture, see P. Reutersward, Studien
zur Polychromie derPlastik: Griechenland undRom (Stockholm, i960), pp. 5 3
58. Monuments such as this example with small recessed figural panels, called
Bildfeldstelen in German, have been studied as a group by Scholl 1996.
2
A. Gikonomides, "Two Attic Funerary Stelai in the J. Paul Getty Museum,"
GettyMusJ 2 (1975): 5356, suggested on the basis of letter style and the
absence of a patronymic that the inscription was a modern addition, but
B. Petrakos, "Nees ereunes ston Rhamnounta," Archaiologike Ephemeris, 1979:
28 2 9 , cites ancient parallels for the omitted patronymic and the disposition
of the letters. See SEG 30.223 for a summary of the two positions. It should
be noted that an examination of the surface of the stone in the area of the
inscription under both raking and ultraviolet light does not reveal any irregu
larities consistent with a later addition.
3
Davies 1971, pp. 17880, no. 4810, and p. 395; Osborne and Byrne 1994,
pp. 32021, s.v. Moschion.
See WoyschMeautis 1982, pp. 4546. Dogs and birds are common compan
ions of children, cf. H . Riihfel, Kinderleben im klassischen Athen (Mainz, 1984),
4
20
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
pp. 142, 743, fig. 80. Clairmont 1993,1:195, no. 0.877, suggests that the dog
stands on a turtle, but this seems unlikely.
5 Clairmont, 1993,1:195, states that behind the drapery folds on the ground is a
circular object, possibly the wheel of a toy cart. There are two groups of drap
ery folds, one behind the other, and perhaps Clairmont interpreted one of
them as a wheel. For a similar long cloak that ends in a pile of folds on the
ground, cf. a stele in Pella, inv. 80.454: Clairmont 1993,1:14345, no. 0.693.
6 See WoyschMeautis 1982, p. 60. A Roman funerary monument in the Getty
Museum, acc. no. 71.AA.271, features a dog of the same type: G. Koch, Roman
Funerary Sculpture: Catalogue of the Collections (Malibu, 1988), pp. 8586,
no. 30.
7 An outline of the antecedents and tradition of the type appears in Vorster
1983, pp. 1226,3942, 4888, nos. GR 10129.
8 Vorster 1983, pp. 1213, no. GR 15, cites a stele in Berlin, Staatliche Museen 757
(K 24), as the first example of the type.
9 Vorster 1983, pp. 1213, 90.
10 Musee du Louvre Ma 813: Hamiaux 1992, p. 200, no. 206.
6.
Grave Stele ofThrasynos with His
Parents, Thrasonides and Archilla
S T E L E W I T H A F L O R A L A N T H E M I O N carved i n low relief and a
shallow figural panel, whose upper corners are carved with the
outline of antecapitals. Anthemia are the crowning elements on
grave stelai, carved i n the form of luxurious vegetation. This
About 375 B.C.
floral finial might be carved i n shallow relief, or it may be more
Finegrained white marble with mica; Height: 139.1 cm
(54 /4 in.); Width: 38.7 cm (15V4 in.); Depth: 3.8 cm (1V2 in.)
3
plastically rendered, approaching a threedimensional form. A l l
anthemia are variations on the theme of a palmette that rises out
of a centrally placed bunch of acanthus leaves. Other elements,
72.AA.120
such as flowers, buds, vines, volutes, birds, and sirens might be
incorporated into the basic palmetteandacanthusleaf design.
CONSERVATION
The stele is complete, although composed of two joined
fragments. There are chips along the left lower edge, the sides,
and the top. The back has been cut down in modern times.
The marble is micaceous and, therefore, probably Pentelic.
The surface of the marble is very weathered and granular.
Weathering has caused the stone to discolor to a light brown.
The underside appears to be the original surface of rough
pointchisel work; there are toothchisel marks on the lower
edge of the front in the region that would have been placed into
a base for display in the cemetery.
The antas topped by capitals that frame the niche on this
stele would probably originally have been further delineated with
painted details. The top is curved with corner akroteria. The relief
1
design of the anthemion consists of a central palmette of eight
fronds rising from a leafy acanthus base with halfpalmettes at
either side. Two large lotus buds fill the spaces between the half
palmettes and the central palmette. The anthemion is separated
2
from the body of the stele by a molding composed of two elements,
a tainia and a flat ovolo, which are separated by an incised groove.
Three names are inscribed on the stele just below the molding:
3
PROVENANCE
Unknown.
0PAXQNIAO 0PAXYNOZ
APXIAAA
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The J. Paul Getty Museum Guidebook (Malibu, 1974), p. 12;
ibid. (Malibu, 1975), pp. 3233; ibid. (Malibu, 1976), p. 40.
Frel 1979a, p. 18, no. 67; Frel 1979b, p. 43, no. 67; A. Mantes,
Provlemata tes eikonographias ton hiereion kai ton hiereon sten
archaia Hellenike techne (Thessaloniki, 1983), pp. 1045, no. 6,
p. 112, pi. 34b; SEG 33.227; J. Frel, "Ancient Repairs to Classical
Sculptures at Malibu," GettyMusJ12 (1984): 74, no. 5; SEG
34.231; Thickpenny 1985, pp. 57; Butz 1987, Appendix B, p. 206;
A. Mantes, Provlemata tes eikonographias ton hiereion kai ton
hiereon sten archaia Hellenike techne (Athens, 1990), p. 86,
no. 6, p. 90, pi. 38b; Clairmont 1993, 3:13233, no. 3.305; M . T .
Le Dinahet and N . Mouret, "Les Steles funeraires grecques:
Etudes stylistiques et iconographiques, annees 19801992,"
Topoi 3 (1993): 12425, no. 45; J. Bergemann, "Die biirgerliche
Identitat der Athener i m Spiegel der attischen Grabreliefs," in
Griechische Klassik: Vortrage bei der interdisziplinaren Tagungdes
Deutschen Archaologenverbandes und der Mommsengesellschaft
vom 24.-27. Oktober 1991 in Blaubeuren ed. E. Pohlmann and
W. Gauer, pp. 28384 (Nuremberg, 1994), esp. pp. 28384;
Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 71, no. 5, s.v. Archilla, p. 229, no. 1,
s.v. Thrasynos, and p. 230, no. 10, s.v. Thrasonides; Scholl 1996,
p. 63 nn. 38992, p. 64 nn. 397 and 4012, p. 102 n. 692, p. 104,
p. 136 n. 936, p. 143 nn. 988 and 990, pp. 14445, 34i~42>
no. 446, pi. 39.4; Bergemann 1997, p. 37 n. 23, p. 215, no. 112;
Bodel and Tracy 1997, p. 7.
y
"Thrasynos, (son) of Thrasonides
(and) Archilla"
The name Archilla is attested i n a few instances at Athens; Thra
sonides at both Athens and i n denies of Attika; Thrasynos is not
otherwise known.
4
The figural panel takes up more than onehalf the height
of the stele and contains three figures. At the left, a woman,
Archilla, sits on an unpadded stool and rests her feet on a low
footstool. She wears a dress with a cloak that covers her shoul
5
ders. Her hair is brushed back from her face and fastened at the
nape i n a large bun. Her left hand is enveloped i n her cloak; her
right is extended to shake hands with a standing bearded man
facing her, presumably her son Thrasynos. He wears a cloak that
6
covers both shoulders, but his chest is bare. There is a large fold
of the cloak at his waist. His hair is short; his feet are formless,
probably clad i n soft shoes or boots.
7
Behind Archilla stands a second man, her husband Thra
sonides, whose beard is longer than his sons. His legs, feet, and
the hem of his garment are visible beneath the stool. His right
hand is raised toward Thrasynos, possibly i n a gesture of speak
ing. He appears to wear a long, loose tunic typical of images o f
8
priests. This figure apparently underwent modification i n antiq
9
uity for a secondary use. The figure originally wore a cloak as evi
denced by the rising hemline o f such a garment, which is visible
beneath Archilla's stool. That hemline is not consistent with the
long tunic that now covers his upper body. Despite Clairmont s
contention that this figure wears a cloak over both shoulders, the
short sleeve and the continuous neckline of a priestly tunic are
clearly seen, especially under raking light.
in his left hand.
11
10
He holds a knife
While the carving of this knife and left
THE
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
21
Detail of the inscription on the grave stele ofThrasynos.
arm appears to be ancient, i t was probably done at a time later
Athens, i t is difficult to support an attribution to a single artist, as
than the original production o f the monument. The knife is not
Thickpenny proposes, for sculpture o f this type.
carved as much as lightly incised on the surface over the folds o f
gravestone for Thrasynos is interesting i n showing a son who
Thrasynoss cloak.
is older w i t h his parents rather than w i t h a wife and children.
The date o f the stele is confirmed by the tall, narrow form
and the design o f the anthemion.
12
While the stele may have been
13
This modest
Particularly noteworthy is the reworking o f the father to identify
h i m as a priest.
carved i n the same workshop as the monument o f Simos i n
1
2
3
4
5
6
22
For painting of Classical Attic funerary sculpture, see P. Reutersward, Studien zur Polychromie derPlastik: Griechenland und Rom (Stockholm, i960),
pp. 5358.
Cf. the stele of Chairestrate in Piraeus, Museum 236: H . Mobius, Die Ornamente der griechischen Grabstelen klassischer und nachklassischer Zeit (Munich,
1968), p. 30, pi. 16a.
The inscription is unusual in giving the father s name in the genitive case
before that of the son (the deceased), in the nominative. The names, however,
were written above each figure in order to make the identification and rela
tionship explicit.
Archilla: Davies 1971, pp. 73, 573; and Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 71. Thra
sonides: Osborne and Byrne 1994, pp. 22930.
The stool is a type 2 diphros, whose legs consist of two superimposed concave
members of nearly equal height, resting on a low base. See Richter 1966,
pp. 4 0 4 1 . The footstool is a schematized type 2 with curved legs that often
ended in lion's paws. See Richter 1966, pp. 5051.
On dexiosis between women and men, see Stears 1995, p. 126.
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Morrow 1985, pp. 8788.
Neumann 1965, pp. 1011.
On priestly attire, see A. Mantes, Provlemata tes eikonographias ton hiereion kai
tonhiereon sten archaia Hellenike techne (Athens, 1990), pp. 8289.
See Clairmont 1993, 3:133. These details appear quite similar to those on both
the tunic worn by the priest on the funerary base from Kallithea (Athens,
National Archaeological Museum 4502) and on the stele of Simos in Athens.
For the Kallithea base, see A. Kosmopoulou, "A Funerary Base from Kallithea:
New Light on Fifthcentury Eschatology," American Journal of Archaeology 102
(1998): 531 45,fig.3. For the stele of Simos, see Thickpenny 1985,fig.2.
Cf. the priest holding a sacrificial knife on the funerary base from Kallithea,
supra, note 10.
The proposed secondary use for this stone helps reconcile the discrepancy
between the date of the sculpture, which is earlier, and the style of the inscrip
tion, dated about 360 B.C. Bodel and Tracy, p. 7.
Athens, National Archaeological Museum 772: Thickpenny 1985, p. 5.
Cat. no. 6. Grave stele o f Thrasynos. Malibu 72.AA.120.
THE
C L A S S I C A L
PERIOD
23
7. Grave Stele of Mynnia with
Bergemann 1997, p. 37 nn. 20 and 22, p. 53 n . 195, p. 65
n. 323, p. 88 n. 202, p. 93 n. 250, p. 215, no. 106, and p. 219,
Her Mother, Euphrosyne, and
Her Sister, Artemisias
no. 191; Bodel and Tracy 1997, p. 6.
S T E L E P R O B A B L Y O R I G I N A L L Y W I T H A slightly rounded pedi
About 370 B.C.
ment painted w i t h a floral design similar to that o n a stele once
i n Laurion. Beneath this crowning element is a broad inscribed
1
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 97.8 c m
(38V2 in.); W i d t h : 43.8 c m (17V4 in.); Depth: 5.1 cm (2 in.)
architrave and a shallow figural panel framed by antas. The
inscription reads:
71.AA.121
EN0A[AE] K E I T A I M Y N N I A M H T P I nO0EINH
CONSERVATION
EYO[P]OXYNH: APTEMIXIAX M T N N I A EYTEAO
Reconstructed from three fragments w i t h a fill affixing the
"Here lies M y n n i a to the sorrow o f her mother,
small left fragment. The brokenoff top was probably a
Euphrosyne. Artemisias, M y n n i a (daughters) o f Euteles"
rounded pediment. The b o t t o m is broken off, and there is a
large chip at the left lower front. The marble is micaceous and,
therefore, probably Pentelic. The surface has weathered to a
Euphrosyne sits at the left on a stool w i t h a very t h i n cush
golden b r o w n color. There are rasp marks o n the lower part
i o n , her bare feet resting on a footstool. She wears a dress w i t h a
o f the front surface. The sides retain marks o f the original
toothchisel finish. The back has been cut down w i t h a circular
saw i n modern times.
2
3
cloak pulled up over her bowed head. She grasps the edge o f the
cloak at shoulder height w i t h the fingers o f her left hand, a ges
ture connected w i t h brides and married women. Her right hand
4
PROVENANCE
is extended to shake the hand o f a young woman, Mynnia, stand
Unknown.
ing before her.
5
Mynnia bears her weight o n her right leg; the left is pulled
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The J Paul Getty Museum Guidebook (Malibu, 1974), pp. 1213;
bare. She wears a dress w i t h a cloak that nearly envelops her. Her
ibid. (Malibu, 1975), p. 33; ibid. (Malibu, 1976), p. 40.
J. Frel, " A n Attic Grave Stele w i t h Epigram," Greek, Roman,
left hand is wrapped i n the folds o f her cloak i n a m o t i f called the
and Byzantine Studies 14 (1973): 17377; Vermeule and
"hanging sleeve." This is a recurring m o t i f seen on girls, boys, and
Neuerburg 1973, p. 8, no. 11; M . Markovich and R. Merkelback,
young women placed on the right side o f a composition. These
"A Misplaced Sigma?" ZPE15 (1974): 168; J. and L. Robert,
"Bulletin epigraphique," Revue des Etudes grecques 87 (1974):
222, no. 222; ibid. 89 (1976): 454, no. 203; ibid. 90 (1977): 341,
figures are wrapped so completely i n a large cloak that i t hangs
over the left side o f the body, covering the left arm and forming a
no. 165; B. B. Fredericksen et a l , The J. Paul Getty Museum
"hanging sleeve." Mynnia s long curly hair is brushed back from
(Malibu, 1975), p. 34; C. W. Clairmont, "Studies i n Greek
her face into a roll fastened at the nape o f her neck and becomes
Gravestones," Melanges d'histoire ancienne et d'archeologie
offerts a Paul Collart (Lausanne, 1976), pp. 1012; G. Daux,
"Notes de lecture," Bulletin de Correspondance hellenique 100
(1976): 20610; ibid. 102 (1978): 604 n. 38, p. 605; R. Stupperich,
6
a braid that extends down her back. Part o f the ritual o f bridal
preparation was fastening the hair w i t h ribbons and covering i t
w i t h a veil, which symbolized the approaching change o f status
Staatsbegrabnis und Privatgrabmal im klassischen Athen
from the freedom o f childhood to the possibly restrictive respon
(Minister, 1977), p. 93 n . 4, p. 106 n. 4, p. 107 n . 4, p. 112 n. 5,
sibilities and duties o f marriage. I n many places, girls would cut
pp. 125,179, no. 474; J. Frel, "Le Sculpteur des danseuses,"
their hair prior to marriage and dedicate i t to a deity. Mynnia s
GettyMusJ 6-7 (19781979): 80 n . 10; Frel 1979a, p. 17, no. 65;
developed breasts indicate that she is o f marriageable age, but her
B. Schmaltz, "Verwendung u n d Funktion attischer Grabmaler,"
Marburger Winckelmann Programm, 1979, p. 25 n . 51; J. Frel,
"Ancient Repairs to Classical Sculptures at M a l i b u , "
GettyMusJ
7
8
long braid shows that she is still a maiden and must have died,
therefore, unmarried.
12 (1984): 7475, no. 6; SEG 36.368; Butz 1987, Appendix B,
Between the two women kneels a small girl, Artemisias,
p. 206; C. W. Clairmont, " ' I t ain't necessarily so': Remarks
who stretches out her right arm toward Euphrosyne, most likely
on Some Gravestones," Hows 5 (1987): 5357; SEG 37.187;
her mother. The girl wears a shortsleeved dress w i t h shoulder
VierneiselSchlorb 1988, p. 48 n . 2; S. Margolis and W Showers,
"Ancient Greek and Roman Sculpture: Authentication,
Weathering, and Provenance Determination," i n Marble:
cords, which are fastened to the center o f a belt tied under her
breasts. The cords secured to the belt help keep the dress i n place.
Sculpture,
Dresses w i t h shoulder cords were worn by young girls because
pp. 28389 (Malibu, 1990), p. 287, Table 1, no. 10; Clairmont
they are more physically active than older girls. Artemisia s hair
Art Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Ancient
9
1993, 2: 65556, no. 2.718; Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 66,
is brushed back from her face into a roll bound w i t h a fillet. The
no. 12, s.v. Artemisia, p. 184, no. 9, s.v. Euteles, p. 189, no. 18,
younger sister o f Mynnia may be reaching up to comfort her
s.v. Euphrosyne, and p. 322, no. 3, s.v. Mynnia; Reeder 1995,
pp. 33637, no. 104; Stears 1995, p. 119; Benson 1996, p. 136
24
back slightly, w i t h just the toes resting on the ground. Her feet are
grieving mother. Both by its inscription and by its iconography
n. 47, no. 1; Scholl 1996, p. 60 nn. 370 and 37577, pp. 6 1
the monument emphasizes the pathos and sorrow a parent expe
62, p. 102 n. 692, p. 197 n. 1310, pp. 215, 341, no. 445, pi. 9.1;
riences at the loss o f a c h i l d .
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
10
Cat. no. 7. Grave stele o f Mynnia. Malibu 71.AA.121.
THE
CLASSICAL' PERIOD
25
Originally the second line of the inscription listed only
Euphrosyne and Mynnia; the name Artemisias and the father s
name (patronymic), Eutelo (of Euteles), were added after the relief
was completed. Because Mynnia is placed just above the head of
the standing woman on the right, Euphrosyne denotes the seated
woman at the left, who is the mother. Thus the later addition—
Artemisias—refers to the younger girl kneeling at her mothers
knee. Euteles was the husband of Euphrosyne and the father of
the two girls. Perhaps Artemisias died after the relief was carved,
but before marriage, and her name was added so that the stele
could honor both daughters. The names Artemisia, Euteles, and
Euphrosyne are attested i n other inscriptions from Athens and
demes of Attika. Mynnia is attested on one other inscription from
Athens and may possibly be restored on a second one, both of the
fourth century B . C .
Drawing of the inscription on the grave stele of Mynnia.
11
The domestic nature of the scene may be compared to
that on a lekythos i n the Athenian Agora. A fragment o f a stele
12
i n London bears the head of a young woman very similar i n style
to that o f M y n n i a . The date o f the stele is suggested by the style
1
13
of the drapery. Characteristic of the first decades of the fourth cen
tury is the mass of fabric folds i n Euphrosyne s lap, accentuated
2
by deep grooves. The drapery becomes decorative, hanging like a
curtain over the body, rather than accentuating the form of the
3
body. The deep Vshaped folds at the neckline o f both Mynnia s
and Euphrosyne s dresses are also characteristic of the period.
This stele is unique i n its capacity to transcend its genre
while conforming to all the canons of its time. I t still manages to
touch us with its tragic particularity. The angles, the counte
nances, the resignation, even the thinness of the mother s cushion
are evocative o f dynamic human reality, beyond static depiction.
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
26
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
Once in the French Mining Company, now lost: Clairmont 1993, 2: 56061,
no. 2.440a. A relief in Munich, Glyptothek 483, still has visible remains of its
painted anthemion: VierneiselSchlorb 1988, pp. 8598, no. 15, pis. 3235.
The stool is a type 2 diphros, whose legs consist of two superimposed concave
members of nearly equal height resting on a low base. See Richter 1966,
pp. 4041.
The footstool is the simplest of the types, a type 3, of boxlike construction,
this one with curved sides. See Richter 1966, p. 51.
On the gesture, which may be a reference to the ritual unveiling of the bride at
weddings (anakalypteria), see Stears 1995, pp. 11920.
On the gesture, called dexiosis, see cat. no. 1, note 7.
Benson 1996, pp. 12427.
See Reeder 1995, pp. 12628.
See W. Burkert, Homo Necans: The Anthropology of Ancient Greek Sacrificial
Ritual and Myth (Berkeley, 1983), p. 63 n. 20.
See Vorster 1983, p. 17.
M . Golden, Children and Childhood in Classical Athens (Baltimore and Lon
don, 1990), pp. 8295, explores the feelings of Athenian parents at the death
of their children.
See Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 6, s.v. Artemisia, p. 184, s.v. Euteles, p. 189,
s.v. Euphrosyne, and p. 322, s.v. Mynnia.
Agora 1 7031: Grossman 1995, pp. 239 42, no. 99.
The stele of Klearete, London, British Museum 1910.414.1: Clairmont 1993,
1: 31415, no. 1.326.
8.
Grave Naiskos of a Young
Woman Holding a Doll
figurines with truncated arms and legs. The young woman's face
2
is incompletely carved with only the left side finished i n detail. Her
long, full, curly hair is fastened at the neck and falls to the middle
of her back. I t is the loose hairstyle o f an unmarried woman. Her
About 360 B . C .
developed breasts show, however, that she was of marriageable
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 72.5 cm
age when she died. She wears a dress with a cloak wrapped over
(28V2 in.); W i d t h : 36 cm (14V8 in.); Depth: 12.5 cm (4% in.)
her left shoulder and breast. Three buttons of the right sleeve o f
the dress are detailed.
82.AA.135
The carving and style of the monument are very close to
CONSERVATION
those of the stele of Aristomache i n Edinburgh. A date i n the first
The naiskos is broken at the top and bottom. The head and
decades of the fourth century is indicated by the depth of the
neck o f the woman are broken and reattached. The marble is
carving, which is accentuated by the low relief of the folds of the
micaceous and, therefore, probably Pentelic. Weathering has
cloak. Another feature distinctive of this date is the way the drap
3
changed the stone to a golden color. The back o f the stone is
roughly picked w i t h a point chisel; the sides are finished w i t h
the tooth chisel, and there are marks o f a flat chisel on the
ery responds to differing stresses and tensions; for example, the
folds that frame the outside of the girl's left upper leg and the inner
background. There are rasp marks on the cloak and dress o f
lower leg. Contrasting with drapery portrayed i n an earlier period
the young woman and on the body o f the goose. The face and
is the greater thickness of the fabric here; the body is less revealed.
hands o f the woman are smoothly finished.
A sweet and pious image of the deceased young woman is
depicted here. Her piety is emphasized by the votive figure she
PROVENANCE
Gift of Vasek Polak, Hermosa Beach, California.
holds. Her sweetness is seen i n her expression and the modest
bowing of her head.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Clairmont 1993,1: 3089, no. 1.311; Bergemann 1997, p. 86
n. 179, p. 99 n . 22, p. 171, no. 509, pi. 63.2.
1
F I G U R A L S C E N E I N A S H A L L O W N A I S K O S framed by antas. A
young woman stands facing left. I n front of her, with its body
overlapping the left anta, stands a longnecked bird with a small
incised triangular eye, probably a goose. The young woman's
1
head is bent to look at an armless and legless doll she holds before
her with both hands. Truncated figures like this are probably not
"dolls" i n the sense of a toy but represent votive figures, which
would have been offered to a divinity. A small group of grave m o n
2
3
Clairmont 1993,1: 3089, no. 1.311, identifies the bird as a heron, but a com
parison with gravestones depicting geese reveals that it is more likely the lat
ter. See WoyschMeautis 1982, pp. 4748, but esp. p. 218, no. 218, pi. 31
(Piraeus, Museum 1703). Cf. also the goose on a stele in Athens, National
Archaeological Museum 2775: Clairmont 1993,1: 206, no. 0.918.
See J. Reilly, "Naked and Limbless: Learning about the Feminine Body in
Ancient Athens," American Journal of Archaeology 99 (1995): 304.
Edinburgh, National Gallery 686: Clairmont 1993,1: 341, no. 1.367 (wrongly
said to be located in the Royal Museum of Scotland, from a previous time
when it was on loan there). Also similar are stones in Munich (Glyptothek
199) and Piraeus (Museum 1703): Clairmont 1993,1:18889 and 277,
nos. 0.869a and 1.247, respectively.
uments depict girls and young women holding fully formed female
THE
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
27
Cat. no. 8. Grave naiskos o f a young woman. Malibu 82.AA.135.
28
A T T I C
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
9-
Grave Naiskos of Theogenis with
Her Mother, Nikomache, and Her
Brother, Nikodemos
About 360 B.C.
NAISKOS
WITH
A TRIANGULAR
PEDIMENT
supported
by
an architrave and antas. The pediment is adorned with one
central and two side akroteria. Three names are inscribed on
the architrave:
Θ Ε Ο Γ Ε Ν ΙΣ Ν ΙΚ Ο Δ Η Μ Ο Σ Π Ο Λ Υ Λ Λ Ο
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 110 c m (43V4 in.);
"Theogenis Nikodemos (son) o f Polyllos"
W i d t h : 92.5 c m (36 /s in.); Depth: 19 c m (7V2 in.)
3
and one on the geison above:
78.AA.58
NIKOMAXH
CONSERVATION
"Nikomache"
Reconstructed from three joining fragments, the naiskos is
broken off irregularly at the bottom. There are chips and
abrasions over the surface. The marble is micaceous and,
therefore, probably Pentelic. The original toothchisel finish
A l l four names are attested i n other inscriptions from Athens and
some of the demes of Attika, Nikodemos being the most common.
2
is preserved o n the sides. The back retains some o f its original
Polyllos, the father of Nikodemos, is possibly identical with Polyl
roughpicked surface made by the point chisel, b u t i t has
los from Paiania, whose statue was erected on the Acropolis by
mostly been cut down i n modern times. W h e n A d o l f Michaelis
saw the stele i n the nineteenth century, there were still remains
of a painted kymation design o n the cornice separating the
architrave and pediment.
his brother. Like this gravestone, the inscribed base of the statue
of Polyllos once belonged to Thomas Bruce, seventh Earl of Elgin
and eleventh Earl of Kincardine. I t is now i n London.
1
3
At the right of the composition, an older woman, Niko
PROVENANCE
mache, with a cap o f thick, short hair, sits on what must have
From the village o f Grammatikon i n northeast Attika; formerly
been a stool since no chairback is evident behind her. She wears
i n the collection o f Thomas Bruce, seventh Earl o f Elgin and
eleventh Earl o f Kincardine, Broomhall, Dunfermline,
Scotland.
4
a dress with a cloak draped over both shoulders. The figure is
5
thick and solid looking, which befits a mature woman. Her face
is round with narrow, thicklidded eyes and a mouth shaped like
a cupid s bow. Her left hand rests i n her lap, while her right is
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The J. Paul Getty Museum Guidebook (Los Angeles, 1954), p . 22,
extended slightly to shake the hand of a woman standing at the
no. 6; ibid. (Los Angeles, 1956), p. 14, no. 6; ibid. (Malibu, 1974),
left of the composition.
p. 12; ibid. (Malibu, 1975), p. 32; ibid. (Malibu, 1976), p. 39.
A. Michaelis, "Ancient Marbles i n Great Britain," JHS 5
(1884): 14361, esp. 15051, no. 11; A. Conze, Die attischen
6
The second woman, Theogenis, wears a dress with a cloak
draped over her shoulders. The fingers of her left hand grasp the
Grabreliefs, 4 vols. (Berlin, 18931922), 1: 83, no. 356, p i . 88;
edge of her cloak at chest height. Her hair is brushed back from
A. H . Smith, "Lord Elgin and His Collection," JHS 36 (1916): 286
her face into a roll fastened loosely at the back. Between Theoge
n. 228, p. 293, no. 23; J. Paul Getty and E. LeVane, Collector's
Choice (London, 1955), p. 201; Vermeule 1955, p. 132; Getty et al.
1965, pp. 5657, 68; Stothart 1965, p. 25 (as 173); J. Frei, Les
Sculpteurs attiques anonymes, 430-300 B.C. (Prague, 1969), p. 39,
nis and Nikomache and carved i n shallower relief stands a man
with a short, sparse beard: Nikodemos. He wears a cloak draped
over his left shoulder, which leaves his chest bare. His right arm
no. 272; C. Houser, "Is I t from the Parthenon?" American
crosses his chest to grasp the edge of the cloak at chest height. The
Journal of Archaeology 76 (1972): 131 n. 35; IG 11 11630; Frei
fingers of his left hand hold the outer edge of the cloak at shoul
1979a, pp. 2021, no. 78; Frei 1979b, p. 43, no. 78; SEG 33.225;
der height. A rounded object that appears to be suspended from
Butz 1987, Appendix B, p. 207; PfistererHaas 1990, pp. 18485;
his left wrist is probably an aryballos. Since his thick hair is short
2
Clairmont 1993, 3:169, 3.343; J. Bergemann, "Die bürgerliche
Identität der Athener i m Spiegel der attischen Grabreliefs,"
i n Griechische Klassik: Vorträge bei der interdisziplinären
Tagung des Deutschen Archäologenverbandes und der
Mommsengesellschaft
vom 24.-27. Oktober 1991 in Blaubeuren,
ed. E. Pöhlmann and W. Gauer, pp. 28393 (Nuremberg, 1994),
esp. pp. 28485; Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 213, no. 2, s.v.
Theogenis, p. 335, no. 62, s.v. Nikodemos, p. 337, no. 15, s.v.
Nikomache, and p. 374, no. 3, s.v. Polyllos; Bergemann 1997, p.
7
and curly, and his beard is carved so that it looks like new growth,
8
he is probably a younger man. A n association with exercise and
the palaistra—implied by the aryballos he carries—is likewise
the mark of a younger man.
The style o f the drapery, but especially the form o f the
hands with their evenly spaced, straight fingers, is comparable to
9
features on monuments i n Paris and Leiden. Drapery i n this
36 nn. 15 and 17, p. 38 n. 30, p. 50 n. 160, p. 88 n. 201, p. 100 n .
period envelops the body opaquely with a uniform texture that
35, p. 106 n. 121, p. 107 n. 130, p. 171, no. 508, p. 215, no. 113, p.
suggests the reality of the fabric. The date is confirmed by the
10
219, no. 207, pis. 53.34, 85.3, and 110.24; Bodel and Tracy
style of Nikodemos s head with its pronounced brow and broad,
1997, P 7
flat cheeks and the letter forms of the inscription on the epistyle.
T H E
C L A S S I C A L
P E R I O D
29
Drawing of the inscription on the grave naiskos of Theogenis.
This is a family monument o f aboveaverage quality that
would most likely have been part o f a family burial plot
(peribo-
appears unfinished i n the area that attaches to the background o f
the naiskos. These unusual details i n the carving are probably due
los). The monument shows signs o f reuse b o t h i n the inscription
to a recarving o f the figures on the stone.
and i n the carving. The name Nikomache was carved by a hand
ment now, it commemorates the death o f Theogenis, the daugh
different from the one that carved the other three names, and its
ter o f Nikomache and, presumably, Polyllos, and the sister o f
placement on the geison o f the pediment points to a later addi
Nikodemos. The somewhat static quality o f the work dampens its
tion. The left hands o f Theogenis and Nikodemos are carved i n
expressiveness but, on the other hand, highlights the complexity
an unusual manner, and their placement is unique, as is that o f
and sophistication o f its design.
11
As we see the m o n u
the aryballos. I n addition, the face o f Nikomache is wide and
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
30
A. Michaelis, "Ancient Marbles in Great Britain," JHS 5 (1884): 14361, esp.
p. 151. All traces of paint have since disappeared; nothing is evident even
under ultraviolet light.
For Nikodemos, see Davies 1971, pp. 21718, no. 6669, v i , pp. 4078, no.
10814, P 4°9> PP 41011, no. 11019; and Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 335. On
the other three names, see Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 213, s.v. Theogenis,
p. 337, s.v. Nikomache, and p. 374, s.v. Polyllos.
British Museum: IG11 3838; Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 374, no. 2, s.v.
Polyllos.
See Richter 1966, pp. 3337, on chairs with backs; pp. 3843 on stools without
backs.
See PfistererHaas 1990, p. 185 n. 31, who designates Nikomache as old by the
cloak drawn up on the back of her neck and by her hairstyle of short locks.
On the gesture, called dexiosis, see cat. no. 1, note 7.
Clairmont 1993, 6: 76, lists eighteen monuments with either a young man or
a man holding an aryballos, although none of thesefiguresholds the vessel
in the same manner as Nikodemos. But the shape of the object on the Getty
stone is entirely consistent with that of an aryballos. Cf. the aryballos on the
monument of Euagoras in Geneva, the Ortiz collection: Clairmont 1993, 2:
108, no. 2.159.
2
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
8
Men with short hair and light beards are seen on several monuments of the
second quarter of the fourth century B.C. Cf. a head in the Athenian Agora,
s 118: Grossman 1995, pp. 18082, no. 78.
9 Paris, Musee du Louvre Ma 767: Hamiaux 1992, p. 166, no. 162; Leiden,
Rijksmuseum 1878: AU: Clairmont 1993, 2: 58990, no. 2.461.
10 Cf. the Eirene of Kephisodotos, which has a secure date because of its appear
ance on Panathenaic amphorai dated to the archon year 360/359: A. Stewart,
Greek Sculpture: An Exploration (New Haven, 1990), pp. 17374.
11 Thanks are due Bernhard Schmaltz for pointing out that a thick strip of
uncarved marble between a figure and the background is indicative of recarv
ing and, therefore, reuse: B. Schmaltz, "Reusing Classical Gravereliefs," paper
given at a colloquium in honor of C. W. Clairmont, Les Pierres de VOffrande,
911 December 1998, Universite BlaisePascal, ClermontFerrand. The pro
ceedings of the colloquium are forthcoming. On the adaptive reuse of a group
of gravestones from Thespiai in Boeotia, see E. B. Harrison, "Repair, Reuse,
and Reworking of Ancient Greek Sculpture," in Marble: Art Historical and
Scientific Perspectives on Ancient Sculpture: Papers Delivered at a Symposium
Organized by the Departments of Antiquities and Antiquities Conservation and
Held at the J. Paul Getty Museum April 28-30,1988, ed. M . True and J. Podany,
pp. 16384, esp. 17374 (Malibu, 1990).
Cat. no. 9. Crave naiskos o f Theogenis. Malibu 78.AA.58.
THE
C L A S S I C A L
PERIOD
31
10. Fragment of the Grave Naiskos
and the geison above:
ofPolystrate with Her Husband,
Opsiades, and Her Daughter
About 360 B.C.
[ O J ^ I A A H X O ^ I A A O Y ES O I O Y
"Opsiades (son) o f Opsiades from Oion"
Only the heads of two standing figures remain. A t the left,
facing right, is the head of an older bearded male figure, Opsi
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 36.8 cm
(14V2 in.); W i d t h : 52.1 cm (20V2 in.); Depth: 14.6 c m (5% in.)
ades. His face is narrow and craggy w i t h a furrowed brow marked
by a horizontal crease. There are lines at the corner of his right
eye, and his cheek sags. His hair is short and combed forward i n
1
73.AA.116
slightly wavy locks, but his beard and mustache are long. The
2
details of Opsiades' physiognomy and his hairstyle of short hair
CONSERVATION
The naiskos is broken at the right and below. There is a large
chip missing from the left akroterion. The back and top have
been cut d o w n i n modern times. The marble is micaceous and,
therefore, probably Pentelic. Weathering has caused the stone
combed forward are comparable to the depiction on gravestones
of a type of elderly man that was influenced by a midfourth
centuryB.c. portrait of Plato by Silanion.
3
At the right of the fragment is the head of a female figure
to discolor to golden brown.
with her face slightly turned to the right. Her hair is brushed back
PROVENANCE
from her face into a roll about her head. The shape of her fore
Unknown.
head is slightly triangular, and her eyes are narrow and almond
shaped, features seen on monuments around the middle of the
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The J. Paul Getty Museum Guidebook (Malibu, 1975), p. 33; ibid.
fourth century B.C.
The heads of both figures are bowed i n a position sug
(Malibu, 1976), p. 40.
A. Oikonomides, "Two Attic Funerary Stelai i n the
J. Paul Getty Museum," GettyMusJ 2 (1975): 53 54; SEG 26.296;
A. Oikonomides, "Aristoteles, the Son o f Opsiades and
Polystrate," GettyMusJ 5 (1977): 4142; Frel 1979a, p. 18,
gesting that they are looking down at a t h i r d figure, now missing,
who was probably seated. By extending the line of the existing
4
part of the pediment to the right, the size o f the original monu
no. 69; Butz 1987, Appendix B, p. 206; C. W. Clairmont, " I t
ment can be approximated; it would have accommodated a three
ain't necessarily so': Remarks on Some Gravestones w i t h
figured relief. Most threefigured reliefs w i t h a standing male
Inscriptions," Horos 5 (1987): 47, no. 2; SEG 37.192; Clairmont
and female figure looking down have them looking at a seated
1993 3 3056, no. 3.405; Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 355, no. 6,
woman. Since Opsiades is shown as an older man, the seated
5
s.v. Opsiades, and p. 375, no. 2, s.v. Polystrate; Bergemann 1997,
p. 171, no. 504; Bodel and Tracy 1997, p. 7.
5
woman was undoubtedly his wife, for comparable scenes of a
man and woman i n these positions are almost always of a hus
band and wife. The missing figure, therefore, is probably Poly
strate, the woman named i n the inscription on the architrave and
U P P E R L E F T PART OF A N A I S K O S w i t h a triangular pediment
the wife of Opsiades. The young woman who stood between the
supported by an architrave and anta w i t h an elaborated capital.
husband and wife is probably their daughter.
The remnant of a corner akroterion remains. The architrave
is inscribed:
6
The family to which Opsiades and Polystrate belonged
may have been connected w i t h Attic silver mining. Even though
7
just a fragment survives of this funerary monument, the individ
nOATZTPA[—]
cc
32
ATTIC
Polystra[te]"
FUNERARY
SCULP TU RE
ualistic rendering of the faces and the size of the naiskos point to
its original high quality and attendant expense.
Cat. no. 1O. Grave naiskos of Polystrate. Malibu 73.AA.n6.
THE
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
33
Drawing of the inscription on the grave naiskos o f Polystrate.
1
2
3
4
34
On conventions of depicting standing old men, see Meyer 1989, pp. 48, 6 0 6 6 .
Cf. the hair and beard on the head of Kalliades on a monument in Berkeley,
Lowie Museum of Anthropology 8/4985: J. Nickel, in Poseidon s Realm: Ancient
Greek Art from the Lowie Museum of Anthropology, Berkeley (Sacramento,
1982), p. 89, no. 76. This seems to be a less common way of showing older
men; more common is either long hair swept back from the forehead and
long beard or a receding hairline with hair either long or short and a long
beard. See Bergemann 1997, pp. 1025.
Proposed by Moltesen 1995, p. 97. For the portrait of Plato, see G. M . A.
Richter, The Portraits of the Greeks, abr. and rev. R. R. R. Smith (Ithaca, N.Y.,
1984), pp. 18186.
Cf. the composition on a stele in Gotha, Schlofimuseum A Rel 1: Clairmont
1993) 3 31617, no. 3.410b.
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
5
6
7
E.g., stelai in Lyme Park, Stockport, Cheshire; Trieste, Museo Archeologico e
Lapidario 2211; Piraeus, Museum 1360; Stockholm, Medelhavsmuseet 1984.12:
Clairmont 1993, 3: 229, no. 3.369c, p. 264, no. 3.383c, pp. 27475, no. 3.387, and
pp. 3045, no. 3.404a, respectively.
See SEG 37.192, where various interpretations of the inscription with relevant
bibliography are summarized. One factor that should be considered, however,
is that the architrave bears signs of rasure: under raking light, the surface of
the marble appears to have been removed with a flat chisel. The architrave is
also unusual in having a recessed area with the molding above. The border of
the recessed area is slightly irregular, adding to the suggestion of rasure.
The family tree is outlined in A. N . Oikonomides, "Aristoteles, the Son of
Opsiades and Polystrate," GettyMusJ 5 (1977): 42. The names Opsiades and
Polystrate are otherwise attested in Attika and at Athens: Osborne and Byrne
1994) P 355) s.v. Opsiades, and p. 375, s.v. Polystrate.
11. Fragment of a Grave Stele with
a Standing Man and a Standing
Woman
and o f a point chisel on the rough surface o f the back. There
are chips on b o t h faces, but especially i n the center of the
woman's. The marble has weathered to a yellowish patina.
PROVENANCE
Unknown.
About 350 B.C.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Finegrained white marble w i t h grayish streaks; Height: 19.5 cm
(7% in.); W i d t h : 36.5 cm (i4 /s in.); Depth: 12.3 cm (4% in.)
3
J. Breslin, "A FourthCentury Funerary Stele i n the J. Paul
Getty Museum," GettyMusJ1
(1974): 2526; Frel 1974, no. 8;
W. Peek, " Z u griechischen Epigrammen," ZPE 31 (1978): 2 6 1
73.AA.133
62; SEG 28.440; Frel 1979a, p. 17, no. 66; Butz 1987, Appendix B,
p. 206; Clairmont 1993, 3: 265, no. 3.384; Osborne and Byrne
CONSERVATION
!993> P 5> s.v. Agakleidas; Bergemann 1997, p. 171, no. 506;
The uppermost part o f the right p o r t i o n o f a stele is preserved.
Bodel and Tracy 1997, p. 9.
There are marks o f toothchisel finish on the right side and top
Cat. no. 11. Fragment o f a grave stele with a standing man and a standing woman. Malibu 73.AA.133.
THE
C L A S S I C A L
P E R I O D
35
Drawing o f the inscription on the grave stele Malibu 73.AA.133.
R I G H T U P P E R C O R N E R OF A STELE w i t h a flat top w i t h a row of
head of an older woman with short, curly hair. Her face is round
antefixes, of which three remain. A twoline inscription is carved
with a hairline that peaks slightly i n the center, a characteristic of
on the architrave:
figures carved around the middle of the fourth century B . C Her
eyes are narrow with thick lids; her lips are full. Her sagging right
[
[.»••
·]Α Ι Ε
Α Γ Α Κ Λ Ε Ι Δ Α Σ
]TON Κ Α Ι Α Δ Ε Λ Φ Α Ν
Μ
Ν Η Μ
Π Α Ι [Σ ]
cheek with a pronounced nasolabial fold and her short hair are
ATT[Ο Τ ]
indications of her advanced age. She resembles a figure on a
Α Τ Ι Σ Ο Σ
<Δ >Ι Α Ι Ν Ε Τ Α Ν
"Agakleidas, your son, at the monument weeps
3
larger, more impressive, and slightly later monument i n Athens.
4
It is difficult to restore the composition of the scene and
for his mother(?) . . . and his lamented sister"
reconcile it with the inscription. Since the man and woman on
The name Agakleidas is not otherwise attested at Athens or i n the
the Getty fragment are older, they are most likely the parents o f
denies of Attika.
a missing daughter and possibly also a son, who were placed
1
At the right o f the fragment is the head of a bearded man
at the left of the monument. This compositional scheme is rare,
that almost touches the underside of the architrave, indicating a
but one can probably make the same interpretation of a three
standing figure. He is i n a left profile pose and looks downward
figured monument i n Brussels. The other possibility is that the
toward a nowmissing figure or possibly two figures. His hair is
mother was seated and shaking hands with her husband, and
medium length and curly, and he has a long, full beard. A pro
that the background figure is an older relative or possibly the
nounced crease marks the center o f his forehead, and the naso
5
sister mentioned i n the inscription. The son and daughter would
labial folds are furrowed—signs of advanced age. His eyes are
then not have been shown. This is also a rare but not unknown
narrow with thick upper lids and slightly rounded eyeballs. His
scheme i n the iconography of family relationships. Because of
left ear is well defined with a thickedged pinna.
the depth of the relief and the naturalistic rendering of the faces
2
At the left, carved i n low relief i n what originally would
have been near the center of the composition, is the nearly frontal
6
of the man and woman, this fragment is dated i n the middle of
the fourth century.
1
Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 5, s.v. Agakleidas.
m o n t 1993, 3: 3045, no. 3.404a; i n Athens, National Archaeological M u s e u m
2
O n conventions o f depicting advanced age i n male figures, see Meyer 1989,
1953: Clairmont 1993,3:36768, no. 3.439a; and i n Piraeus, M u s e u m 221 + 1190:
Clairmont 1993, 3: 38586, no. 3.454.
pp. 49, 6 0 6 6 .
3
Bergemann 1997, pp. 99100, discusses this type o f representation. I t also
6
Cf. a stele i n Rome, Museo Barracco 147: C l a i r m o n t 1993, 3: 281, no. 3.389b.
looks as i f the Getty figure may have had a double chin, a further indication
Unfortunately this m o n u m e n t is also only a fragment, w i t h just an elderly
o f advanced age.
m a n and w o m a n shown. But the missing seated figure is named as a woman,
4
Athens, National Archaeological M u s e u m 966: C l a i r m o n t 1993,1:368, no. 1.430.
and the m a n is clearly shaking hands w i t h her, so she w o u l d most likely have
5
Brussels, Musées Royaux d u Cinquentenaire: C l a i r m o n t 1993, 3: 236, no. 3.372.
been his wife, leaving the older w o m a n i n the background as a relative, even
The inscription makes clear the relationship o f the seated w o m a n as the
possibly the mother o f the seated woman, as VierneiselSchlorb 1988, p. 41 n .
daughter o f the older m a n w i t h w h o m she shakes hands. The t h i r d figure i n
4, suggests. This is also the possible interpretation o f a stele i n H o n o l u l u ,
the background is most likely the mother. This is also the possible interpreta
Academy o f Arts 3605: C l a i r m o n t 1993,3: 294, no. 3.396.
t i o n o f the figures o n a stone i n Stockholm, Medelhavsmuseet 1984.12: Clair
36
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
12. Fragment of a Grave Naiskos with
the Head of a Female Attendant
head is broken off through the neck, and the tip o f the nose
is chipped. The marble is micaceous and, therefore, probably
Pentelic. The back has a rough finish consistent w i t h point
chisel work. There are marks o f the tooth chisel on the side
of the anta. The back has a b r o w n weathering incrustation,
About 350 B.C.
but the front o f the fragment is smooth and shiny, indicating
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 21.5 cm (8V2 i n . ) ;
that i t has been subjected to an acid cleaning at some point.
W i d t h : 17.2 cm (6 A in.); Depth: 9.7 cm (3 /s in.)
3
7
PROVENANCE
73.AA.119
Unknown.
CONSERVATION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The fragment is broken at the top, bottom, and right. The
Frel 1979a, p. 18, no. 68.
Cat. no. 12. Fragment o f a grave naiskos. Malibu 73.AA.n9.
THE
C L A S S I C A L
PERIOD
37
F R A G M E N T OF T H E L E F T PART o f a naiskos w i t h an anta and
A sakkos such as this figure wears covered the hair o f
the head o f a female figure. The woman is placed i n the corner o f
women who were attendant figures i n multifigured scenes; they
the naiskos i n right profile. She was the far left figure i n an origi
were probably household slaves. This head would have joined a
nally multifigured composition. The woman's face is narrow with
body similar to that o f the standing attendant on a naiskos i n
a forehead that slopes sharply at the sides. The right side of the
Athens of a similar date. We can reconstruct the original figure
face is fully carved, the left only schematically. Her right eye is
here as a servant standing beside her mistress, probably holding
deepset and narrow with a thick upper eyelid. The eyebrow is
some article of adornment, such as jewelry or the chest i n which
rendered as a sharp ridge i n the forehead, and the skin beneath
it was stored.
2
3
the brow recedes at a sharp angle with almost no suggestion of
fleshiness. Her nose is straight, fairly large, and angled sharply
from bridge to sides. She has a small, bowshaped mouth. The
1
edges of her dress and cloak are seen at the back of her neck. Her
hair is drawn back from her face under a head covering (sakkos)
y
which is tied by a cord brought forward from her nape over her
ear and behind the roll across her forehead. The edge o f the
sakkos can be seen along the hairline. A depression delineates the
contour o f the roll o f hair that lies across her forehead under
the fabric. Her right ear is uncovered and there is a ringlet of hair
2
i n front o f it, although i n very low relief. A small bit of the back
1
ground o f the naiskos remains at the top of her head.
3
38
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
The low relief is probably due to a combination of weathering and the subse
quent acid cleaning that this head received in modern times. For a similar
feature on a servant, cf. the head of the attendant on a gravestone in Athens,
National Archaeological Museum 3716: Clairmont 1993,3:12021, no. 3.284. A
better photograph of the head is found in J. Bergemann, "Fundort Unbekannt?
Ein ungewohnlicher Kopf von einem attischen Grabnaiskos in New York und
seine Herkunft aus der attischen mesogeia," Archaologischer Anzeiger, 1997:
pp. 37788, esp. p. 383,fig.12.
On the dress of female slaves, see Reilly 1989, pp. 416 17. On slaves, see
Y. Garlan, Slavery in Ancient Greece, rev. edn. (Ithaca, N.Y., 1988); J.F. Girar
dot, "Cherchez l'esclave! ou: Quelques reflexions sur les documents figures
de Farchai'sme et du classicisme Grecs," Dialogues d'histoire ancienne 15.2
(1989): 399433
Athens, National Archaeological Museum 732: Clairmont 1993, 2: 54445,
no. 2.431.
13.
Head of a Female Attendant from
a Grave Naiskos
over her ear and behind the roll across her forehead. The edge of
the sakkos can be seen along the hairline. I n front of the right ear
are remnants of locks of hair. A depression delineates the contour
of the roll of hair that lies across her forehead under the fabric.
About 350 B . C .
The
sakkos
was the common head covering for slave
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 21.6 cm (8V2 i n . ) ;
women who were attendant figures i n multifigured scenes on
W i d t h : 17 cm (6 A in.); Depth: 10.5 cm (4V8 in.)
funerary monuments. I t might seem surprising that so many
3
4
funerary monuments contained figures of slaves, but they signified
57.AA.14
a family's wealth and social standing, and there is evidence that
they were sometimes considered members of the family. Indeed,
5
CONSERVATION
The fragment is broken all around. Most o f the right cheek
there are examples o f funerary monuments erected for slaves.
6
The size of this head indicates that it came from a large
has been broken away, and another break removed the jaw and
lower part o f the head on that side back to the relief ground.
monument of the type that became common i n the middle of the
The tip o f the nose is chipped. The marble has been tested as
fourth century B.C. Similar figures appear on stelai of the period
Pentelic. The stone has a yellowish patina and a slick and shiny
1
surface suggesting that i t has been cleaned w i t h acid. There
from 375 to 335 B.C. Two monuments, one i n Athens, the other i n
7
are marks o f the rasp on top o f the head. A suggestion that
New York, contain attendant figures with heads similar to ours.
the stone i n front o f the left ear has been recut is not borne
As can be seen i n these examples, servants of this type could hold
out by close examination. The surface o f the stone i n that
items connected with feminine adornment, such as jewelry chests,
area is characteristic o f the lessworked side o f a relief figure.
or the baby of the deceased. Our head would have belonged to a
2
8
servant standing beside her seated mistress.
PROVENANCE
Here is another example of the intriguing and ultimately
Unknown.
mysterious aura surrounding the study of many ancient frag
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ments. Both what remains and what is lost contribute to a pres
Sotheby's, London, sale, July 56,1938, lot no. 190; Bulletin
ence that is provocative and haunting.
of the J. Paul Getty Museum of Art 1.1 (1957): 8 9 ; Getty et al.
1965, pp. 61, 68; Stothart 1965, p. 15 (as A 57.S11); Vermeule
and Neuerburg 1973, pp. 8 9 , no. 12; Frel 1979a, p. 19, no. 74;
Bergemann 1997, p. 179, no. 844; J. Bergemann, "Fundort
unbekannt? Ein ungewohnlicher Kopf von einem attischen
Grabnaiskos i n New York und seine Herkunft aus der
attischen mesogeia," Archaologischer Anzeiger, 1997: 37788,
1
2
3
esp. p. 381, fig. 7.
H E A D OF A W O M A N broken from a naiskos. The right side of the
head and face is carved to a greater finish and exhibits better
modeling than the rest, which indicates that the head was placed
4
on the left side of the monument. The head would have been
3
attached to the rest of the relief on the figure s proper left.
The
woman has a thin face with large, widely spaced,
almondshaped eyes, a small mouth, and a forehead that is straight
across the front and slopes sharply back at the sides. The eye
5
6
brows are subtly modeled i n the forehead, and the skin beneath
the brow recedes at a sharp angle, with almost no suggestion of
fleshiness. The
7
eyes, with the upper lids accentuated, lie close
beneath the brows. The proper right eye is carved more carefully,
with greater definition of the eyelids. The lips are bow shaped,
and just beneath the lower lip there is a cleft i n the chin. The
woman's hair is drawn back from her face under a head covering
(sakkos),
8
Stable isotope analysis by Norman Herz at the University of Georgia,
March 1995.
See Frel 1979a, p. 19, no. 74.
Vermeule and Neuerburg 1973, p. 9 n. 2, place it on the extreme right of a mon
ument, but, besides the fact that the right side of the face is carved in greater
detail, only that side has some strands of hair caught up under the edge of the
sakkos in the area just in front of where the right ear would have been. Such
a feature would have been carved only on the side of the head that faced the
viewer.
On the dress of female slaves, see Reilly 1989, pp. 416 17. On slaves, see
Y. Garlan, Slavery in Ancient Greece, rev. edn. (Ithaca, N.Y., 1988); J.F. Girar
dot, "Cherchez l'esclave! ou: Quelques reflexions sur les documents figures
de Farchai'sme et du classicisme Grecs," Dialogues d'histoire ancienne 15.2
(1989): 399433
W. K. Lacey, The Family in Classical Greece (London, 1968), pp. 3031.
There is a stele of very low quality in the Athenian Agora, erected to one
Titthe: Athens, Agora 1 6508: Grossman 1995, pp. 5051, no. 8. For additional
examples, see C. Fragiadakis, Die attischen Sklavennamen (Athens, 1988).
H. Diepolder, Die attischen Grabreliefs des 5. und 4. Jahrhunderts v. Chr. (Berlin,
1931)5 pis 36.1,37,41,52. Also on the stele of Hegeso, D. BuitronOliver, The
Greek Miracle, exh. cat., National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C., 1992),
pp. 15051, no. 33.
Athens, Third Ephoria M 672: Clairmont 1993, 2: 23839, no. 2.294a;
New York, Shelby White and Leon Levy collection, Clairmont 1993, 2: 688,
no. 2.780a.
which is tied by a cord brought forward from her nape
THE
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
39
Cat. no. 13. Right profile view o f the head o f an attendant showing at the top the attachment area o f
the head to the grave naiskos. Malibu 57.AA.14.
40
A T T I C
F U N E R A R Y
S C U L P T U R E
Cat. no. 13. Frontal view o f the head o f an attendant from a grave naiskos. Malibu 57.AA.14.
THE
C L A S ST C A L
P E R I O D
Al
14- Grave Naiskos of a Seated Woman
with Two Standing Women
I n the background, between the two women and carved
in low relief, stands a third female figure i n a nearly frontal posi
tion. This woman wears a longsleeved dress and rests her
upraised right arm on her left, which is held across her waist. She
8
About 340 B.C.
probably originally held her hand to her cheek i n a gesture of
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 110 cm (43% i n . ) ;
mourning. The front of her dress below her waist has been
W i d t h : 100 cm (39% in.); Depth: 25.5 cm (10 in.)
roughly reworked, but several shallowly carved vertical drapery
9
folds remain at the right.
73.AA.97
10
Unfortunately, the heads of both
standing women are missing, and although we cannot know for
certain their original role i n the composition, they were probably
CONSERVATION
The top part o f the monument is missing. There are chips
similar to the woman and attendant on stelai i n New York and
and losses along the edges o f the antas and the plinth. The nose,
Athens. A monument i n Copenhagen is comparable i n compo
chin, and m o u t h o f the seated woman are missing. The marble
sition, style, and date, although there two of the figures are men.
11
is micaceous and, therefore, probably Pentelic. Weathering has
caused the stone to discolor to pale yellow. The front surface
has a slick, shiny appearance consistent w i t h its having been
12
The balanced arrangement of three figures within a
naiskos is characteristic o f the midfourth century B . C , as is the
cleaned w i t h acid. The underside o f the panel shows parallel,
hairstyle of the seated woman, whose hair is drawn up so that i t
vertical strokes o f a mediumpoint chisel and is probably the
forms a triangular shape over the forehead. Drapery during this
original surface. The back preserves the original rough surface
period takes on a decorative quality, seen i n the artfully placed
made by a point chisel; the sides have marks o f the tooth chisel.
folds over the edge of the chair seat and the patterns of the broad
Ushaped curves descending i n rows over the lower leg of the
PROVENANCE
seated woman. A monument i n Athens, with a much more
Unknown.
crowded composition of six figures, is especially close to our
BIBLIOGRAPHY
naiskos i n the manner o f the carving of the fingers and folds of
The J. Paul Getty Museum Guidebook (Malibu, 1974), p. 12; ibid.
drapery. W i t h the lack of an inscription to give further informa
(Malibu, 1975), p. 32; ibid. (Malibu, 1976), p. 39.
tion, the monument could have been either for the seated woman
Sotheby's, London, sale, July 12,1971, lot no. 133; Frel 1979a,
p. 20, no. 77 (wrongly cited as 73.AA.91); Clairmont 1993, 3:
13
or for the standing woman at the far left.
This is probably a monument for the seated woman, for
3089, no. 3.407, and p. 364, no. 3.437a ; Bergemann 1997,
1
she is carved i n the highest relief and occupies the most p r o m i
p. 171, no. 503, p i . 29.34.
nent position i n the composition. We can speculate that a deceased
S H A L L O W N A I S K O S F R A M E D B Y A N T A S . The three figures are
mother shakes hands with her daughter while one of the house
carved to varying depths of relief, with the seated figure carved i n
hold servants stands by mournfully.
highest relief. A t the right of the composition sits a woman on a
chair w i t h its seat covered by a piece of fabric that hangs over the
edge. The woman wears two dresses, a sleeveless one over one
2
w i t h sleeves, and a cloak. The carving of the edges o f the right
1
sleeve with its buttons is very weathered, but these details are still
faintly visible. There are indications of faint press folds on her
cloak, especially visible on her left thigh and knee. Press folds are
2
slight indentations created i n fabric that has been folded for stor
age. The fact that the woman wears clothing that has been stored
3
means that she comes from a level of society that had more than
just the bare essentials. I n other words, this woman owned more
than one dress; she was wealthy enough to have clothing i n stor
age. Her full, curly hair is parted i n the middle and rolled up
around her head. Her neck is marked by two Venus rings, an
indication that she has been well fed. Her sandaled feet rest on a
4
footstool. Her left hand rests i n her lap; the right reaches out to
5
shake the hand of a woman standing at the left of the composi
t i o n . This woman also wears two dresses and a cloak, which is
6
wrapped about her waist with a thick, twisted fold. Her left hand
grasps the edge o f her cloak. The soles of the sandals worn by
both women are carved. The straps would originally have been
painted.
42
7
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Clairmont 1993, vol. 3, made two entries for this monument, with two differ
ent catalogue numbers. One (pp. 3089, no. 3.407) lists the location correctly
as the Getty Museum, but the other (p. 364, no. 3.437a) is identified as
"whereabouts unknown."
The chair is a rather solidlooking version of the klismos, with a curved back
and plain, curved legs: Richter 1966, pp. 3337. On the image of seated women
on gravestones, see Benson 1996, p. 184.
On press folds, see Ridgway 1990, p. 219; GrangerTaylor 1987, pp. 11423.
See cat. no. 4 with note 9.
The footstool is a solid example of type 2, with curved legs ending in schema
tized lion's paws: Richter 1966, pp. 5051.
On the gesture, called dexiosis, see cat. no. 1, note 7.
Morrow 1985, p. 72.
The longsleeved chiton identifies her as a slave. See Reilly 1989, pp. 41617.
Neumann 1965, pp. 128 3 0 . The woman's pose and gesture are similar to those
of an attendant on a lekythos in the Athenian Agora, s 1223: Grossman 1995,
pp. 24243, no. 100.
10 Probably reworked to smooth out a spalled or broken surface.
11 New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art 06.287: Clairmont 1993,3:303 4,
no. 3.404; Athens, Kerameikos Museum p 1139: Clairmont 1993,3:31718,
no. 3.411.
12 Copenhagen, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek 2615: Moltesen 1995, pp. 90 9 1 , no. 33.
13 Athens, National Archaeological Museum 719: Clairmont 1993, 4:19192,
no. 6.905.
Cat. no. 14. Grave naiskos o f a seated woman. Malibu 73.AA.97.
THE
C L A S S I C A L
PERIOD
43
15. Heads of a Woman and a Bearded
Man from a Grave Naiskos
The male figure was placed to the right of the woman i n a
threequarters left profile pose. He has thick, curly hair and a
mediumlength full beard. His eyes are small and deepset with
thick lids. He, too, exhibits signs of maturity i n the form of a shal
About 340 B . C .
low
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height (male): 28.1 cm
labial folds.
3
Depth: 17.4 cm (6 /s in.)
3
The two faces were probably the father and mother i n a
(nVs in.); W i d t h : 20.7 cm (8V8 in.); Depth: 18.5 cm (fA i n . ) ;
Height (female): 27.4 cm (io A in.); W i d t h : 24.2 cm (9V2 in.);
horizontal crease i n his forehead and pronounced naso
multifigured scene with a child or children. Compare a stele i n
7
Athens. As on that stele, the woman here may have been standing
4
beside her husband, i n the background, on a monument for a
73.AA.123.1.2
deceased child. Or she may have been seated and shaking hands
CONSERVATION
with her husband, who stood, on her own gravestone, with
Both heads are broken from a larger relief. The heads are
another family member i n the background. A date just after the
chipped, but the surface o f the male figure is especially
midfourth century is suggested by the depth of the relief and the
weathered and battered, w i t h pitting o f the stone. His nose
is missing. Some o f the original rear surface o f the monument
remains w i t h marks o f the point chisel. There are channels
5
manner i n which the woman's hair is drawn up over the center of
her forehead into a slightly triangular configuration.
made by a running drill i n the hair of both figures. Some o f
the original background o f the monument to which the heads
were attached remains around them. The marble is micaceous
and, therefore, probably Pentelic. The surface o f the marble
is smooth and shiny w i t h a slightly yellow color, which is
consistent w i t h an acid cleaning.
PROVENANCE
Unknown.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Frel 1979a, p. 21, no. 81.
Two
H E A D S , O N E M A L E , O N E F E M A L E , broken from a grave
naiskos. The female figure, i n right profile, was originally placed
at the left of the composition. The right side of her face is carved
more carefully than the left. Her advanced age is indicated by two
Approximate position of the two heads in relation to one another on the grave
naiskos Malibu 73.AA.123.12.
horizontal creases on her forehead, lines at the corner of her right
eye, and a crease i n the right nasolabial fold. Her long hair is
1
parted i n the center, brushed back into a roll about her head, and
caught up at the nape of the neck.
1
2
2
3
4
5
44
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
See PfistererHaas 1990, pp. 18081.
Older women are more often shown with short, curly hair, but the rolled
hairstyle is not unknown. See Bergemann 1997, pis. 4856, for examples of
older women with short hair, their heads either covered or not; pis. 4 6 4 7
show examples of older women with the rolled hairstyle.
On the tradition of depicting older men, see Meyer 1989, pp. 7479. On the
physiognomy of older men, see Bergemann 1997, pp. 1035.
Athens, National Archaeological Museum 1953: Clairmont 1993, 3: 36768,
no. 3.439a. The two older women have similar hairstyles, although the Getty
woman is in higher relief.
Such a scheme is seen on two monuments in Athens, National Archaeological
Museum nos. 3927 and 3966: Clairmont 1993, 3: 25657, no. 3.381b, and
pp. 26061, no. 3.382b, respectively.
Cat. no. 15. Head o f a woman from a grave naiskos. Malibu 73.AA.123.2.
T H E
C L A S S I C A L
P E R I O D
45
Cat. no. 15. Head o f a bearded man from a grave naiskos. Malibu 73.AA.123.1
46
A T T I C
F U N E R A R Y
SCULPTURE
16. Fragment of a Grave Naiskos
with Two Women
At the right is the head of a second woman who stood i n
a threequarter left profile pose. Her hair is drawn back from her
face under a head covering (sakkos),
which is tied by a cord
brought forward from her nape, over her ear, and behind the roll
About 340 B.C.
across her forehead. I n front of her ears are several locks of hair.
3
Her ear is large for the size of her head, with a welldefined thick
Finegrained white marble w i t h some darker gray streaks and
mica; Height: 25.5 cm (10 in.); W i d t h : 38 cm (15 in.); Depth:
edged pinna. She has deepset, narrow eyes with thick lids. Her
10 cm (3% in.)
lips are full and slightly parted.
The veiled woman was perhaps seated i n a left profile
73.AA.118
position while turning her head to face the viewer. Seated women
usually do not turn their heads frontally but face one or another
CONSERVATION
The fragment is broken at the top, bottom, and left. The back
figure i n the composition. Commonly, this type o f figure appears
of the relief is smoothly finished. The lips o n both mouths were
i n a twofigured composition with an attendant positioned oppo
separated by a channel made w i t h a running drill. The marble
site. But there is not enough room between the two figures on
4
is micaceous and, therefore, probably Pentelic. The surface o f
the Getty fragment to allow the woman to have been seated i n
the marble is weathered and granular, but it also has a shiny
right profile. There must originally have been other figures to the
aspect consistent w i t h an acid cleaning.
left of the veiled woman. Unfortunately, the closest comparative
PROVENANCE
to this stele is also a fragment, on which only an enthroned,
Unknown.
veiled woman and her standing servant remain.
5
A fourfigured scene on a lekythos gives a general idea of
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Munzen u n d Medaillen, Basel, sale 14, June 19,1954, lot no. 3;
the original composition. There, a woman sits on a chair i n left
Frel 1979a, p. 20, no. 75; Frel 1979b, p. 43, no. 75; H . Thickpenny,
profile but with her chest positioned frontally and her head turned
"Fragment o f an Attic Grave Stele i n the Getty Museum,"
slightly to the right toward her daughter, who stands at the right
6
GettyMusJS
(1980): 99106; SEG 33.238; Butz 1987, Appendix B,
p. 206; Clairmont 1993, 3: 388, no. 3.456; Bergemann 1997,
of the scene. The seated woman shakes hands with her husband,
who stands i n front of her at the left. Behind h i m stands their son.
p. 177, no. 697, p i . 40.4; Bodel and Tracy 1997, p. 7.
Closer i n style to the figures and from about the same period is a
naiskos i n Athens of higher quality than the Getty piece.
7
N A I S K O S W I T H A N I N S C R I B E D architrave and antas. Two letters
of the original inscription remain:
1
2
3
[]QA[~]
—OL—
At the left of the fragment, the head of a woman is placed
frontally. Since her head touches the underside o f the architrave,
4
she may have been standing, but she could also have been seated.
A cloak is pulled up over the back of her head. I t is thickly carved
and looks as i f it would have been held out away from her right
side, for it is at a more obtuse angle than its counterpart on the
5
opposite side. This gesture is commonly made by brides and
married women. She has thick, curly hair, an oval face with nar
1
row cheeks, and a delicate nose with indented nostrils. Her deep
set eyes are narrow with thick lids and flat eyeballs. She has a
short upper lip and a full lower lip. A Venus ring marks her neck.
2
6
It may be a reference to the anakalypteria. See Stears 1995, pp. 11920.
See cat. no. 4 with note 9.
The head of the kneeling attendant on the stele of Ameinokleia is a good
example of this type of coiffure, which modestly covers the hair but has the
feminine feature of the curls in front of the ears. Athens, National Archaeo
logical Museum 718: Clairmont 1993, 3: 22930, no. 3.370.
Cf. Clairmont 1993, 2: 46566, no. 2.390 (Athens, National Archaeological
Museum 820); pp. 53334, no. 2.426b (Copenhagen, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
514); pp. 54445, no. 2.431 (Athens, National Archaeological Museum 732);
p. 549, no. 2.433 (Piraeus, Museum 3685); pp. 59395, no. 2.464 (Athens,
Kerameikos); and p. 794, no. 2.909 (Brauron, Museum BE 92).
National Archaeological Museum 1957: Clairmont 1993, 3: 38990, no. 3.457.
Thickpenny 1985, and Clairmont 1993, 3: 388, no. 3.456, both propose three
figured compositions. The Athens fragment may well have had more than
three figures, since the seated woman is situated on the far right of the stone.
Athens, National Archaeological Museum 840: Clairmont 1993, 4: 39 40,
no. 4.235
7
Athens, National Archaeological Museum 732: Clairmont 1993, 2: 5 4 4 45,
no. 2.431.
THE
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
47
Cat. no. 16. Fragment o f a grave naiskos with two women. Malibu 73.AA.118.
Drawing o f the inscription on the grave naiskos Malibu 73.AA.n8.
48
A T T I C
F U N E R A R Y
SCULPTURE
17. Head of a Female Attendant from
a Grave Naiskos
About 340 B . C .
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 27 cm (io /s i n . ) ;
5
W i d t h : 18.6 cm (7% in.); Depth: 21.3 cm (8 /s in.)
3
71.AA.123
CONSERVATION
The head is broken at the base o f the neck. The nose and most
of the upper lip have been broken off, and there are chips on
the chin, edge o f right pinna, and forehead. The marble was
tested and is Pentelic. A cast o f the drill hole i n the right
1
earlobe revealed a rounded b o t t o m consistent w i t h ancient
drillwork. A large chip is missing from the crown o f the head.
PROVENANCE
Unknown.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
J. Frel, Les Sculpteurs attiques anonymes, 430-300 B.C. (Prague,
1969), p. 354; Vermeule and Neuerburg 1973, p. 9, no. 13; Frel
1979a, pp. 2122, no. 83; Frel 1979b, p. 43, no. 83; Bergemann
1997> P179) no 845; J. Bergemann, "Fundort unbekannt? Ein
ungewohnlicher Kopf von einem attischen Grabnaiskos i n
New York u n d seine Herkunft aus der attischen mesogeia,"
Archaologischer Anzeiger, 1997: 37788, esp. p. 381, fig. 13.
Threequarter right profile view of the head of an attendant from the grave naiskos
Malibu 71.AA.123.
H E A D OF A W O M A N , carved i n the round, that originally joined
a nowmissing figure, which was part of a large naiskos. The
our figure would have come. I t would have been part of an elab
woman's hair is drawn back from her face under a head covering
orate funerary monument of freestanding statues displayed
(sakkos),
inside a covered, threesided architectural structure.
which is tied by a cord brought forward from her nape,
6
over her ear, and behind the roll across her forehead. Her right
The Getty head would have been attached to the body of
ear is carved while the left is not finished, indicating that she faced
an attendant figure wearing a longsleeved dress who was looking
right i n the composition. Both earlobes are drilled for the attach
up at other figures i n a naiskos composition. The style o f the
ment of separately made earrings—an unusual feature of adorn
dress was derived from the East and identified these figures as
ment i n an auxiliary figure i n the composition. Her face is oval
slaves from such foreign places as Thrace, Scythia, or Caria i n
with a mouth with a full lower lip. She has sharpridged eyebrows
Asia Minor. Almost every Attic family owned household servants,
and almondshaped eyes with flattish eyeballs set close beneath
who
2
are often depicted attending their mistresses. The bond
the brow. The upper lids are accentuated. Her right eye is carved
between servant and mistress must have been close, for the ser
with greater care than her left, another indication that her head
vants on gravestones of deceased mistresses frequently have sor
was oriented so that the right side faced the viewer.
rowful expressions.
The woman is turning her head slightly to right and her
The date of the head is based on its size and style. Grave
chin is uplifted, a pose that presents only one possible reconstruc
stones in the middle decades of the fourth century became increas
tion. Since her head covering indicates that she was an attendant
ingly elaborate, often showing whole groups carved nearly i n the
figure, she may have been standing next to a woman, looking up
round. The style of figures carved at this time, even on grave
at her, like the composition on the fragment of a naiskos with two
stones, was influenced by the preeminent late Classical sculptor
female heads, catalogue number 16. A similar face, upturned i n
Praxiteles. He introduced a scheme of proportions for represent
an attitude of grief, is seen on the attendant holding a jewel box i n
ing the human body that emphasized leanness, a soft physique,
3
the background of a multifigured stele i n Paris of about 340 B.C.
4
and a relaxed appearance. Facial features were delicately rendered
The suggestion that she may have been kneeling before her mis
with slightly parted lips and slightly deeperset, almondshaped
tress is probably not a tenable reconstruction, for the one com
eyes, the face an oval, the eyebrow curving into the nose, the hair
plete example of a stele with a kneeling attendant figure shows the
line arched. Frel attributed this head to the Sculptor of Demagora,
kneeling figure looking down, not up. Two multifigured naiskoi,
but further work needs to be done on the assignment of grave
both i n Athens, demonstrate the type of monument from which
stone sculptures to specific artists and workshops.
5
7
THE
CLASSICAL
8
PERIOD
49
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Stable isotope analysis conducted by Norman Herz at the University of Geor
gia, March 1995.
An additional example of this is seen on a head in Geneva, the Ortiz collec
tion: Reeder 1995, p. 140, no. 9. The attendant figure on a stele in Athens,
National Archaeological Museum 723, dated earlier than this one (to the sec
ond quarter of the fourth century) wears a large carved earring: Clairmont
1993, 2: 72930, no. 2.850.
See cat. no. 13,57.AA.14, for another head of an attendant figure and for a
fuller discussion of this type offigure,who is probably a household slave.
Musee du Louvre Ma 3113: Hamiaux 1992, p. 162, no. 156.
Frel 1979a, p. 18, no. 68, makes the suggestion. Athens, National Archaeologi
cal Museum 718, is the complete funerary monument with an attendant figure
kneeling before her mistress: Clairmont 1993,3: 22930, no. 3.370. In addition,
there are two fragments of the bodies of kneeling figures and two heads that
belong to two other kneeling figures. Athens, Agora s 2480; Athens, National
Archaeological Museum 2042; Cincinnati, Cincinnati Art Museum 1962.389;
London, British Museum 671. For a discussion of this type of monument with
further references, see Grossman 1995, pp. 8994.
Athens, National Archaeological Museum 743 and 832: Clairmont 1993, 4:
1036, nos. 4.430 and 4.431, respectively.
A. Stewart, Greek Sculpture: An Exploration (New Haven, 1990), pp. 17679.
J. Frel, Les Sculpteurs attiques anonymes, 430-300 B.C. (Prague, 1969), pp. 3 6
37, nos. 23840 bis. When Frel was compiling his first checklist of sculptures
in the Getty Museum, he attributed this head to the Budapest Sculptor by
mistake, an error that he corrected in the second checklist. See Frel 1979a,
pp. 2122, no. 83; Frel 1979b, p. 43, no. 83.
Right profile view o f the head of an attendant from the grave naiskos Malibu
71.AA.123.
50
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
Cat. no. 17. Frontal view o f the head o f an attendant from a grave naiskos. Malibu 71.AA.123.
THE
C L A S S I C A L
PERIOD
51
18. Fragment of a Grave Naiskos
another figure at the left of the composition. The woman's hair is
4
cut short, an indication of either mourning or advanced age.
5
with a Seated Woman and
a Standing Man
her age, similar to Nikomache on the threefigured grave naiskos
About 330 B.C.
is carved i n greater detail than her right. Her eyelids have thick
Since she is seated, her short hair is more likely an indication of
catalogue number 9. Her face is fully carved, although her left eye
edges, and there is a lightly incised line at the outer corner of her
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 96.5 cm (38 i n . ) ;
left eye, which confirms her more advanced age. Her forehead,
W i d t h : 51 cm (20Vs i n . ) ; Depth: 17.5 cm (6 /s in.)
7
however, is smooth with no creases.
Behind the woman is part of the torso and waist of the
73.AA.122
figure of a standing man. He wears a cloak wrapped i n such a way
that his chest is bare. Compare again the stele i n London. This
CONSERVATION
6
The naiskos is broken at the top and at left. The extant
fragment was part of a monument that was probably for the
fragment is reconstructed from three pieces. The b o t t o m
deceased son or daughter of this woman, who is accompanied by
retains the original rough surface made by the point chisel.
her husband standing beside her. We tentatively restore the stele as
The right side bears marks o f the original finish made by a
tooth chisel. The back o f the stele has been recut w i t h a circular
a threefigured group with the missing figure a male, after a m o n
saw i n modern times. The marble is micaceous and, therefore,
ument i n Philadelphia that shows an older seated woman with
probably Pentelic. Weathering has caused the stone to discolor
short hair shaking hands with a man, probably her son, while her
to a light b r o w n color w i t h some incrustation.
husband looks on.
7
I n studying such a remnant from the past, one notes the
PROVENANCE
recurrent particularity of detail, such as faint facial marks, pos
Unknown.
tural inclinations, and clothing features. These fuel speculation as
to whether they are simply artistic conventions, preferences of
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Frel 1979a, p. 21, no. 80; Clairmont 1993, 3: 307, no. 3.406;
the sculptor, or attempts at naturalistic representation.
Bergemann 1997, p. 171, no. 505, p i . 53.2.
FRAGMENT
OF T H E L O W E R
RIGHT
PORTION
of a naiskos
1
framed by antas. A t the right of the composition sits a woman
facing left on a stool with a thin cushion. Her feet rest on a foot
1
stool. She wears two dresses, a sleeveless one fastened on the
2
shoulders over one with sleeves closed by a series of buttons, and
a cloak. One edge of the cloak falls over the side of the stool. The
sole o f her sandal is carved; the straps would have been painted.
rest i n her lap. Her right arm is broken just below the elbow, but
it appears to have been extended, probably to shake the hand of
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
5
3
Enveloped i n the thin fabric of her cloak, her left arm and hand
52
2
3
4
6
7
The stool is a type 2 diphros, whose legs consist of two superimposed concave
members of nearly equal height, resting on a low base. See Richter 1966,
pp. 4 0 4 1 .
The footstool looks as if it were the plain, boxlike type 3: Richter 1966, p. 51.
Morrow 1985, pp. 7273.
Cf. the stele in London, British Museum 1910.712.1: Clairmont 1993,3: 32526,
no. 34i5a.
PfistererHaas 1990, p. 185 n. 31, designates Nikomache on the grave relief cat.
no. 9 as old by virtue of the cloak drawn up on the back of her neck and her
hairstyle of short locks.
Supra, note 4.
Philadelphia, University Museum MS 5470: Clairmont 1993, 4: 31213,
no. 3.409.
Cat. no. 18 . Fragment of a grave naiskos with a seated woman. Malibu 73.AA.122.
T H E
C L A S S I C A L
P E R I O D
53
19.
Head of a Woman from
a Grave Naiskos
About 330 B.C.
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 31 cm (12V4
in.);
W i d t h : 21.2 cm (8 /s in.); Depth: 24 cm (9V2 in.)
3
79.AA.134
CONSERVATION
The head is broken off through the b o t t o m o f the neck. The tip
of the nose and the left eyebrow are damaged; there are chips
and scratches elsewhere. The marble is micaceous and,
therefore, probably Pentelic. Weathering has caused the stone
to discolor to a yellowbrown patina.
PROVENANCE
Formerly i n the collection o f Joseph Brummer, New York City;
then i n the collection o f Ernest Brummer, New York City.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Galerie Koller, Zurich, sale cat., The Ernest Brummer
Collection,
October 1619,1979> PP 2089, lot no. 616.
H E A D C A R V E D I N T H E R O U N D and originally joined to a body
that would have been part of a multifigured composition set
within a naiskos. The woman's curly hair is cut short, falling i n
1
locks from the crown to frame her face. She has a long oval face,
Threequarter right view of a woman from the grave naiskos Malibu 79.AA.134.
whose forehead curves smoothly from the center to the sides. Her
eyes are narrow with a sharpedged upper eyelid that projects
over flat eyeballs. The brows are sharp edged, and the area under
is a mourner i n the background of the scene, wrapped tightly i n
them fleshy. The root o f her nose is broad. Her long, sturdy neck
her cloak and holding her hand to her cheek. Large pieces are
is marked w i t h Venus rings.
missing from the naiskos i n Rhamnous, but enough remains to
2
The unfinished rear and left side indicate that the head
show that the seated woman is surrounded by family members,
comes from a figure placed at the left of a composition, and that
most probably her children. Because our head is carved i n the
she was probably i n a threequarter right profile. She may have
round, it most likely belongs to a figure centrally located i n a
been seated, for she looks slightly upward. The fact that this head
composition and not to a background figure.
is carved though not fully finished i n the round supports the idea
that it belonged to the body of a seated figure. The head resembles
that of the seated figure on the fragment i n catalogue number 18.
Like that woman, the signs of age i n the present head are subtle,
being expressed by her short hairstyle, slight fleshiness of the area
just beneath the brows, and a slight double chin. Comparable is
the standing woman at the left o f the composition on the replica
in Piraeus of the "Farewell" stele or the seated woman on a five
figured naiskos i n Rhamnous. The woman on the stele i n Piraeus
3
54
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
1
2
3
Cf. Athens, National Archaeological Museum 1986, for a head in the round
on a body in relief: Clairmont 1993, 3: 39394, no. 3.459a.
See cat. no. 4 with note 8.
Piraeus, Museum 429: Clairmont 1993,3: 4078, no. 3.466. While not recog
nized as older by Clairmont, she is both by PfistererHaas 1990, p. 193 n. 66,
and by Bergemann 1997, p. 108 n. 139. Rhamnous Museum: Clairmont 1993,
4:16769,^0.5.290.
Cat. no. 19. Frontal view o f the head o f a woman from a grave naiskos. Malibu 79.AA.134.
T H E
C L A S S I C A L
P E R I O D
55
Cat. no. 19. Right profile view o f the head o f a woman from a grave naiskos. Malibu 79.AA.134.
56
A T T I C
F U N E R A R Y
S C U L P T U R E
20.
Head of a Bearded Man from
a Funerary Monument
F R O N T P O R T I O N OF T H E H E A D of an older man broken from a
relief, undoubtedly originally part of a multifigured composition.
The man has curly hair swept back from his face and a long, full
beard divided into several locks. His eyes are round with thick
About 330 B . C .
lids and are set beneath projecting brows. His mouth is small and
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 23.3 cm (9 /8 i n . ) ;
deepset beneath a thick mustache. Signs of advanced age are
W i d t h : 15.2 cm (6 in.); Depth: 8.3 cm (3V4 in.)
indicated by furrows i n the brow, lines at the corners of the eyes,
!
and sagging cheeks. The rendering of the hair and beard and the
1
75.AA.92
physiognomy are very close to those on a head i n Copenhagen.
2
The head resembles those o f men standing i n the backgrounds o f
CONSERVATION
Broken at the back, just behind the ears. The nose, lower lip,
a threefigured relief i n Piraeus and of a fourfigured relief i n
and details o f the beard are broken off. The marble is micaceous
Athens. He would have been one of the auxiliary figures forming
and, therefore, probably Pentelic. The surface is weathered and
the group around the deceased i n a large funerary monument.
3
pitted w i t h a brownish incrustation.
PROVENANCE
Anonymous gift.
1
O n these features as indicators o f advanced age, see Meyer 1989, pp. 48, 6 0 6 6 .
The head type fits into the category o f standing, longhaired figures. Berge
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Recent Acquisitions of Antiquities,
m a n n 1997, pp. 1023, pis. 1013, describes this type o f head as a m a n w i t h an
The J. Paul Getty Museum
(Malibu, 1976), p. 9, no. 81; Frel 1979a, p. 21, no. 79.
old physiognomy and a brushedback type o f hairstyle (anastole).
2
N y Carlsberg Glyptotek 1873: Moltesen 1995, p. 110, no. 51. Thanks are due the
anonymous reviewer for this reference.
3
Piraeus, M u s e u m 3914: C l a i r m o n t 1993, 3: 40910, no. 3.467. Athens, National
Archaeological M u s e u m 832: C l a i r m o n t 1993,4:1046, no. 4.431.
THE
C L A S S I C A L
P E R I O D
57
Cat. no. 20. Left profile view o f the head o f a man from a funerary monument. Malibu 75.AA.92.
58
A T T I C
F U N E R A R Y
S C U L P T U R E
Cat. no. 20. Frontal view o f the head o f a bearded man from a funerary monument. Malibu 75.AA.92.
THE
C L A S S I C A L
PERIOD
59
21. Grave Naiskos ofSime
with Members of Her Family
the left anta. Her feet rest on a footstool. The feet are rounded at
3
4
the ends with no toes indicated, which probably means that she is
shod, even though no soles are carved. Sime wears a dress with a
5
cloak drawn up over the back of her head. Her hair is parted i n
About 320 B . C .
the center and combed away from her face into a roll. Her left
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 132.1 cm (52 in.);
hand rests i n her lap, the right is extended to shake the hand of a
W i d t h : 73.7 cm (29 in.); Depth: 17.1 cm (6 A in.)
standing bearded figure placed at the right of the composition.
3
6
The man is wrapped i n a cloak that leaves his right arm,
77. A A . 89
shoulder, and chest bare. He holds the edge o f his cloak at waist
level with his left hand. His mediumlength beard and mustache
CONSERVATION
The naiskos is complete. Two chips from the peak o f the central
are curly; his hair is cut short, possibly i n mourning. His body
7
akroterion are reattached. There are chips on the corner
overlaps the right anta, and the back o f his left sandaled foot is
akroteria, a chip from the right lower edge, and m i n o r chips
placed at the edge of the slab. He appears to be wearing the type
o n the antas. The underside retains its original roughpicked
of goatskin sandals designed for easy mobility called
finish. The back and the front o f the ledge at the b o t t o m o f the
stone are roughly finished w i t h the point chisel; the sides are
trochades,
which are unusual but not unknown on fourthcentury grave
finished w i t h the tooth chisel. The marble is micaceous and,
stones. It is not absolutely certain, however, that they are
trochades,
therefore, probably Pentelic. Weathering has caused the stone
for the toes are hidden behind the footstool, and the characteris
to discolor to yellowish brown.
tic toestraps cannot be seen.
PROVENANCE
short, curly hair, his frontal face gazing out at the viewer. His hair
8
Behind the seated woman stands a beardless youth with
Unknown.
is the short brush cut seen on athletic figures such as those on the
Ilissos stele or on a fragment of a stele, both i n Athens. The lower
9
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Frel 1979a, p. 21, no. 82 (wrongly cited as 71.AA.89); Frel 1979b
edge of his cloak and his right foot are visible beneath the chair.
(mistakenly listed i n the concordance as 71.AA.89); SEG 33.235;
His toes are not defined, but the sole of his shoe is carved.
Frel 1984, pp. 3537; SEG 34.233; Thickpenny 1985, pp. 78;
10
Also behind the seated woman, to the right of the youth,
Butz 1987, Appendix B, p. 207; I . ValleraRickerson and
M . Korma, "Merika ellenika ekthemata t o u Mouseiou Getty,"
stands a second woman facing right. She wears a dress and cloak.
Archaiologia 43 (1992): 85; Clairmont 1993, 4: 8889, no. 4.413;
Her hair is parted i n the center and fastened i n a full roll about
M . T . Le Dinahet and N . Mouret, "Les Steles funeraires
her head. Her right hand with palm open is extended to touch the
grecques: Etudes stylistiques et iconographiques, annees 1980
beard of the older man on the right i n a gesture o f sympathy.
11
1992," Topoi 3 (1993): 12425, no. 45; Osborne and Byrne 1994,
The carving of the hair on all of the figures is noteworthy
p. 398, no. 3, s.v. Sime; Bergemann 1997, p. 35 n . 6, p. 54 n. 204,
for its careful execution, with strands and locks individualized.
p. 55 n . 214, p . 171, no. 507, p i . 32.34,115.2; Bodel and Tracy
Compare two monuments i n Athens and one once i n Eleusis.
1997, P7
12
Sime is clearly the deceased individual on this m onu
ment, being both the only named figure and the one carved on a
SHALLOW
NAISKOS W I T H
A triangular pediment supported
slightly larger scale than the others. I n addition, she is prominently
by an architrave and antas. The pediment is adorned with one
seated on a chair that is large i n proportion to her size so that her
central and two corner akroteria; its center is slightly recessed.
importance i n the family group is emphasized.
The name of the seated woman is inscribed above her on
here w i t h her family gathered about her. The crowded m u l t i
the architrave:
figured composition places the monument i n the later fourth
century B . C
EIMH
1 4
13
She is shown
Several monuments o f that time exhibit a similar
composition of fourfigured reliefs i n which three o f the figures
are relating to one another within the frame of the naiskos, while
"Sime"
the fourth relates to the viewer by being placed i n a frontal
It has been suggested that the names of some of the other figures
position. This figure, i n each example, is either youthful or an
i n the composition might originally have been added i n paint on
attendant
figure.
15
the architrave, but examination under both ultraviolet and raking
This piece raises the issue of the primacy of aesthetic val
light revealed no traces to support that conjecture. The name
ues. Here, for once, we have an essentially intact work w i t h a full
1
Sime is rarely attested i n Attika, there being only two other known
cast of characters produced with a considerable level of technical
instances of the name i n inscriptions of the sixth century B.C.
skill. Yet, the rendering lacks dynamism and passion, presenting a
2
Sime sits at the left o f the composition on a large chair
w i t h a seat covered by a piece of fabric, which partially overlaps
60
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
pedestrian composition i n which an overall dullness detracts
from the impact and significance of the work.
Cat. no. 21. Grave naiskos o f Sime. Malibu 77.AA.89.
T H E
C L A S S I C A L
P E R I O D
6l
Detail o f the inscription on the grave naiskos o f Sime.
1
Bernhard Schmaltz 1995, i n correspondence w i t h the author. Johannes Berge
12 Athens, National Archaeological M u s e u m 2559, shows a similar manner o f
m a n n 1996, i n correspondence w i t h the author, likewise concluded after
carving the individual strands o f hair, esp. visible o n the top hair o f the male
examining photographs taken under b o t h ultraviolet and raking light that
figure: Clairmont 1993,3: 34849, no. 3.427a. The second is the fragment o f a
there was no evidence o f additional names.
naiskos slightly earlier than the Getty monument, namely, Athens, National
2
Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 398, s.v. Sime.
Archaeological M u s e u m 2065: C. W. Clairmont, Classical Attic
3
The chair is an ungraceful version o f the klismos. See Richter 1966, pp. 3337.
suppl. vol. (Kilchberg, 1995), p. 58, no. 2.3476.. The t h i r d m o n u m e n t is the
The footstool looks like a very schematized version o f type 2, w i t h curved legs
fragment o f a naiskos, b u t b o t h facial features and hair o f the young w o m a n
4
5
Tombstones,
that often end i n lion's paws: Richter 1966, pp. 5051.
depicted resemble those o f the figures o n the Getty monument, once i n the
M o r r o w 1985, pp. 8 6 8 7 .
Eleusis Museum: Clairmont 1993,1: 373, no. 1.440.
6
O n dexiosis between w o m e n and men, see Stears 1995, p. 126.
13 Benson 1996, pp. 184,18687.
7
O n hair cut short as a sign o f grief, cf. Euripides Alcestis 215 17.
14 F r o m the same period comes a m o n u m e n t i n Athens, National Archaeological
8
9
But the sandal definitely is a type w i t h solid side leathers encasing the heel,
M u s e u m 3657, similar i n its crowded composition, stocky figures, and the hair
like trochades. See M o r r o w 1985, pp. 8586, for another fourthcentury grave
and beard style o f the male figure, i.e., short, curly hair w i t h a mediumlength
stone w i t h a m a n probably wearing trochades.
beard: Clairmont 1993,3: 51516, no. 3.932.
Athens, National Archaeological M u s e u m 869: Clairmont 1993, 2: 82124;
Athens, National Archaeological M u s e u m 746: Clairmont 1993,1: 318, no. 1.331.
15 E.g., Paris, Musee d u Louvre M a 767: Hamiaux 1992, p. 166, no. 162; Brauron
Museum: Clairmont 1993, 4: 9798, no. 4.422; Spata (Attika), b u i l t into the
10 M o r r o w 1985, pp. 8788.
wall o f a house o n K i n g Paul Street: Clairmont 1993, 4:100, no. 4.424; and
11 N e u m a n n 1965, pp. 6970.
Athens, National Archaeological M u s e u m 2326: C l a i r m o n t 1993, 4:117,
no. 4.467.
62
A T T I C
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
22. Head of a Young Woman from
a Grave Naiskos
C O M P L E T E H E A D C A R V E D F O R insertion into the body of a
figure. A flat area on the back o f the head indicates that it origi
nally was placed i n a naiskos, where it rested against the back
panel of the monument. The figure would have been placed i n a
1
About 320 B.C.
threequarter left frontal position. The young woman's face is oval
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 34.3 cm
with a full jaw and a small, bowshaped mouth with a full lower
(13V2 in.); W i d t h : 15.6 cm (6 A in.); Depth: 22.2 cm (8 /4 in.)
lip. Her brows are sharpedged with deepset eyes placed imme
l
3
diately beneath. Her eyes are narrow with thick lids. On her neck
56.AA.19
are two widely spaced Venus rings. Her hair is parted i n rows and
2
pulled back from her face i n a socalled melon hairstyle, which
3
CONSERVATION
The proper left side o f the tip o f the nose has been chipped
was introduced i n the second half of the fourth century and used
off, and the right side o f the shoulder at the collarbone has
by the sculptor Silanion i n a statue of a woman identified as
been broken and reattached. O n the back is a flatcut surface
the poet Korinna.
finished w i t h the point chisel, which would have rested against
the flat background o f the naiskos. The b o t t o m o f the head is
rounded and finished w i t h the point chisel. There is a light
reddishbrown incrustation on all surfaces. The marble is
micaceous and, therefore, probably Pentelic.
4
The best comparison for the head with its low brow and
hairstyle of symmetrical, regular rows of braided hair is seen on
a stele of a young woman i n London. The fine workmanship, the
5
hairstyle, and the soft, sweet facial expression place the head i n
the Praxitelean style of about 320 B . C
The figure to which this head belonged was life size, and,
PROVENANCE
Unknown.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The J. Paul Getty Museum Guidebook (Los Angeles, 1956), p. 13,
therefore, the monument of which she was a part would have been
particularly large and splendid. She and other freestanding stat
ues would have been arranged i n a roofed, threesided structure,
no. 20; ibid. (Malibu, 1974), p. 13; ibid. (Malibu, 1975), p. 33;
appearing as i f on a stage. A monument of that kind was the most
ibid. (Malibu, 1976), p. 40.
expensive and lavish type of commemoration for a deceased indi
Bulletin of the J. Paul Getty Museum of Art 1.1 (1957): 8;
Getty et al. 1965, pp. 5859, 68; Stothart 1965, pp. 1314 (as
A 56.S16); G. Schmidt, "Der Brunnsche Kopf," Antike Plastik 10
(1970): 33 n . 28; The J. Paul Getty Collection, exh. cat., The
vidual i n Athens or Attika. Although only the chipped and weath
ered head of a figure, the piece has a quality and a power well
beyond that o f more complete and complex works.
Minneapolis Institute o f Arts, JuneSeptember 1972
(Minneapolis, 1972), no. 2; Vermeule and Neuerburg 1973, p. 6,
no. 8; B. B. Fredericksen et a l , The J. Paul Getty Museum
(Malibu, 1975), p. 25; Frel 1979a, p. 20, no. 76.
1
2
3
4
5
The seated figure of Demetria on her funerary monument in Athens, National
Archaeological Museum 2708, originally had a separately carved head, which
is now, unfortunately, missing. The join of the head to the body was hidden
by folds of her garments: Clairmont 1993, 2: 53233, no. 2.426.
See cat. no. 4 with note 9.
On this type of hairstyle, see B. S. Ridgway, "Is the Hope Head an Italian
Goddess?: A Case of Circumstantial Evidence," Expedition 38 (1996): 5562,
esp. 58.
G. M . A. Richter, The Portraits of the Greeks, abr. and rev. R. R. R. Smith
(Ithaca, N.Y., 1984), p. 156.
London, British Museum 1909.611.1: Clairmont 1993,1: 384, no. 1.471.
T H E
C L A S S I C A L
P E R I O D
63
Cat. no. 22. Right profile view o f the head o f a woman from a grave naiskos. Malibu 56.AA.19.
64
AT T I C
F U N E R A R Y
SCULPTURE
Cat. no. 22. Frontal view o f the head o f a woman from a grave naiskos. Malibu 56.AA.19.
THE
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
65
Head of a Girl from
a Grave Naiskos
23.
About 320 B . C .
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 23.8 cm (9% in.);
W i d t h : 16.5 cm (6V2 in.); Depth: 19.6 cm (j A in.)
3
58.AA.4
CONSERVATION
The head is carved i n the r o u n d and broken at the b o t t o m o f
the neck. I t is less finished on the left side and rear than o n the
right side. Chips on the nose, chin, and right temple. The head
has been cleaned, except for the back, where a yellowishbrown
patina remains. The marble has been tested as Pentelic. Casts
1
of the d r i l l holes i n the earlobes reveal that the bottoms o f the
holes are rounded, which is consistent w i t h ancient drillwork.
PROVENANCE
Unknown.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The J. Paul Getty Museum Guidebook (Malibu, 1974), p. 13; ibid.
(Malibu, 1975), p. 33; ibid. (Malibu, 1976), p. 40.
Bulletin of the J. Paul Getty Museum ofArt 1.2 (1959): 1618;
Stothart 1965, p. 17 (as A 58.S4); Vermeule and Neuerburg 1973,
p. 8, no. 10; Frel 1979a, p. 22, no. 85.
HEAD
CARVED
I N T H E R O U N D that originally would have
joined the figure of a girl placed i n a naiskos. The head was not
Threequarter right profile view of the head of a girl from the grave naiskos Malibu
58.AA.4.
part o f the background of the naiskos; there is a flat area at the
back o f the head that would have rested against the back panel of
the architectural structure. The figure would have been positioned
so that she was i n a threequarter right profile. The head is carved
for separately attached earrings. These girls, although they have
asymmetrically, probably to compensate for the optical illusion
the appearance of small adults, are children. A general idea of the
created by its display above the heads of viewers. Large naiskoi
kind of composition to which this head probably belonged is seen
such as the one to which this figure would have belonged were
on the grave naiskos o f Demainete, catalogue number 24. Our
often set up on terraces high above the street level of the viewer.
2
head, though, joined a freestanding figure that would have been
face o f the girl is squarish with a high prominent
placed i n a separately constructed threesided and roofed shrine.
forehead that slopes to her temples, which are slightly depressed.
Funerary monuments composed o f separately carved statues and
Her large, round, deepset eyes have thin upper lids that extend
architectural structures were very expensive and would have been
beyond the lower ones. She has full cheeks and straight lips set
commissioned by only the wealthiest citizens of Athens or Attika.
The
close beneath her nose. The nostrils are shallowly drilled. The curly
hair is divided into sections and pulled back into a braid wound
about her head—a modified version o f the melon coiffure. The
3
ears have drill holes for the attachment o f separately made ear
rings. The front o f her neck is marked with a faint Venus ring.
4
1
2
3
Her chin is raised and her neck slightly extended, indicating that
she was probably looking up at another figure.
The style o f this head and the age depicted are similar to
those o f a statue o f a girl belonging to a grave monument i n
New
York of two female figures set i n a naiskos. I n that monu
ment, the girl is an attendant who looks up at her mistress. Like
5
our figure, that girl has a braided hairstyle, and her ears are pierced
66
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
4
5
Stable isotope analysis conducted by N o r m a n Herz at the University of Geor
gia, March 1995.
See Bergemann 1997, pis. 13.
On this coiffure as one w o r n by girls, see Bergemann 1997, p. 99, pis. 5759.
Cf. the hairstyle o n the head of a girl from a votive statue i n the Getty
Museum, acc. no. 96.AA.106: True and H a m m a 1994, p. 113, no. 50.
See cat. no. 4 w i t h note 9.
New York, the Metropolitan Museum of A r t 44.11.23: Clairmont 1993,1: 513
14, no. 1.971. The back of the head of the younger woman is finished i n a man
ner similar to the Getty head—roughly w i t h the point chisel. See G. M . A.
Richter, Catalogue of Greek Sculptures in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
(Cambridge, Mass., 1954), pi. 76.
Cat. no. 23. Frontal view o f a girl from a grave naiskos. Malibu 58.AA.4.
THE
CLASSICAL.
PERIOD
67
Cat. no. 23. Right profile view o f the girl from a grave naiskos. Malibu 58.AA.4.
68
A T T I C
F U N E R A R Y
SCULPTURE
24.
Grave Naiskos ofDemainete with
an Attendant Holding a Partridge
with shoulder cords (see cat. no. 7), a belt fastened just under her
budding breasts, and a cloak. Both the shoulder cords and the
hairstyle are indicators o f Demainete s youth. She is probably
2
wearing shoes, for her feet have a large, rounded appearance, and
About 310 B.C.
a thick sole seems to be indicated under her left foot. She holds a
3
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 96.5 cm (38 i n . ) ;
bird with a brokenoff head i n her right uplifted hand. Her left
W i d t h : 47.5 cm (i8 /4 in.); Depth: 15 cm (5 /s in.)
hand is wrapped i n the folds o f her cloak i n a m o t i f called the
7
3
4
"hanging sleeve" (see cat. no. 1).
75.AA.63
5
At the left, i n front of the left framing anta, stands a
small girl holding a plump bird with a round eye. The bird is
CONSERVATION
The naiskos is complete except for chips. The girl's nose is
probably a partridge. This girl wears a longsleeved dress w i t h a
6
missing, and there are chips on her chin and on the cloak
long overfold and shoulder cords. The long sleeves of her dress
that covers her left hand and arm. The original roughpicked
and her shortcropped hair indicate that she is a slave. She prob
underside o f the p l i n t h remains. The back has been hollowed
ably wears soft shoes or slippers, for no toes are shown. "Press
out and its thickness reduced i n modern times. A border o f the
original roughpicked back is preserved around this modern
7
8
folds" are indicated on both girls' clothing, which have been
cutting. There are marks o f the tooth chisel on both sides o f
interpreted by some as guidelines for a painted pattern or as sym
the stele and on the background o f the front. The top o f the
bols of special care given to the clothing of the wealthy and, thus,
plinth on which the figures stand is roughly worked w i t h the
a status symbol.
point chisel. The marble is micaceous and, therefore, probably
Pentelic. The surface o f the marble has the oily, slick appearance
characteristic o f an acid application.
9
This monument is unusual i n showing two different types
of birds. The motif of a young deceased person holding a bird is
common on Attic gravestones, but it is unusual to show more than
PROVENANCE
one bird. Birds were common pets i n the Athenian households,
Unknown.
and Demainete was obviously the proud owner of at least two.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
press folds and the depiction of two different types of birds—the
The individual touches of this monument—such as the
Recent Acquisitions of Antiquities,
The J. Paul Getty Museum
(Malibu, 1976), p. 3, no. 2; Frel 1979a, p. 22, no. 84; Frel 1979b,
size of the monument, and the quality of its carving indicate that
p. 43, no. 84; SEG 33.222; Butz 1987, Appendix B , p. 207;
it was probably erected by a wealthy and prominent family for
VierneiselSchlorb 1988, p. 137 n. 7; Clairmont 1993,1: 200201,
their lost daughter, Demainete. The style and composition of the
no. 0.909; Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 103, no. 10, s.v.
monument are comparable to a funerary monument i n Athens.
Demainete, and p. 381, no. 59, s.v. Prokles; Bergemann 1997,
p. 86 n. 177, p. 177, no. 698; Bodel and Tracy 1997, p. 6.
SHALLOW FLATTOPPED NAISKOS
10
There the girl holds the large bird—a duck—and her young
attendant holds a chest.
with three antefixes framed
by antas with projecting antecapitals. The name and patronymic
of the deceased are inscribed on the architrave:
1
Davies 1971, pp. 47071, nos. 12224,12231,12231 bis, 1223335; Osborne
and Byrne 1994, p. 103, s.v. Demainete, and p. 381, s.v. Prokles. The name
Demainete is f o u n d o n inscriptions f r o m two demes, Aixone and Pithos.
A H M A I N E T H IIPOKAEOYX
The name o f Prokles is c o m m o n , being f o u n d o n inscriptions f r o m twenty
six o f the Attic demes.
"Demainete, (daughter) o f Prokles"
2
The names Demainete and Prokles are attested i n other inscrip
tions from Athens and various demes of Attika.
Festschrift fur Frank Brommer, ed. U . H o c k m a n n and A. Krug, pp. 15561
1
At the right, Demainete, a girl, stands facing left i n a three
quarter frontal pose. She has a broad face, flattened at the front,
O n the costume, see Vorster 1983, p. 17. For shoulder cords o n adults and
certain goddesses, see E. B. Harrison, "The ShoulderCord o f Themis," i n
(Mainz, 1977). For the hairstyle, see Vorster 1983, pp. 2123.
3
M o r r o w 1985, pp. 8 6 8 7 .
4
For gravestones of children h o l d i n g birds, see WoyschMeautis 1982, pp. 4 2 4 6 .
5
Benson 1996, pp. 12427.
and large eyes. Her hair is styled with a central braid on top of her
6
Cf. WoyschMeautis 1982, no. 228, p i . 33.
head. That hairstyle is seen on both boys and girls; it is a way to
7
Reilly 1989, pp. 41617.
keep their long hair i n place and under control. I t is also the hair
style commonly seen on figures of Eros, the son of the goddess of
sex and love, Aphrodite. Demainete wears a shortsleeved dress
8
M o r r o w 1985, pp. 8 6 8 7 .
9
O n press folds, see Ridgway 1990, p. 219; GrangerTaylor 1987, pp. 11423.
10 Athens, National Archaeological M u s e u m 895: C l a i r m o n t 1993,1: 2023,
no. 0.912.
THE
C L A S S I C A L
PERIOD
69
Cat. no. 24. Grave naiskos o f Demainete. Malibu 75.AA.63.
Detail o f the inscription on the grave naiskos o f Demainete.
70
A T T I C
F U N E R A R Y
SCULPTURE
25.
Fragment of a Lekythos
The tall, narrow proportions of the lekythos and the single
figure highlighted against the background of the vessel point to a
About 375 B.C.
work made during the first thirty years of the fourth century B.C.
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; polychromy; Height:
58 cm (22 /8 in.); W i d t h : 29.2 cm (11V2 in.)
7
The size and style of this lekythos are comparable to ones in Athens
and i n M u n i c h .
5
The practice of using sculpted marble lekythoi as grave
markers begins at the end of the fifth century B.C. Some were
6
80.AA.157
plain, while others had painted designs or sculpted reliefs. The
shape o f the lekythoi changed over the century of their use as
CONSERVATION
The lekythos is broken at the top through the neck and at the
b o t t o m of the body of the vessel. There is a remnant of the
b o t t o m of the original back handle. A large piece of marble is
grave markers. The marble lekythoi followed the shapes of their
terracotta predecessors. I n the beginning, they are tall and cylin
missing from the back right side of the vase near the shoulder.
drical. During the second quarter of the fourth century the shape
The surface of the lekythos is pitted and weathered w i t h cracks.
becomes more squat with a broader shoulder and shorter neck.
Marks of the tooth chisel as well as striations from polishing
remain on the lekythos. The marble is micaceous and, therefore,
probably Pentelic. It has weathered to a golden brown, and
the surface is covered w i t h light incrustation. A n analysis o f
While the iconography of the reliefs on marble vessels
such as lekythoi and loutrophoroi is related to that seen on stelai,
some features r u n counter to the trend on stelai; multifigured com
red pigment on the shoulder of the lekythos identified it as
positions are common on early lekythoi, while only twofigured
cinnabar.
reliefs appear on those of the later period. Many of the lekythoi
1
are inscribed, mostly with personal names engraved directly
above the figures. Most of the names are otherwise unknown.
PROVENANCE
Gift of M r . and Mrs. M i l t o n Gottlieb, Los Angeles.
Lekythoi were part of the sculptural decoration of the
family plots (periboloi)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
i n Attic cemeteries. The vases stood i n
7
E. Keuls, The Reign of the Phallus (New York, 1985), p. 132;
these enclosures alongside naiskoi, tall stelai often topped with a
Clairmont 1993,1: 25253, no. 1.189.
floral finial (anthemion), and funerary animals. The practice of
grouping graves begins i n the last quarter of the fifth century B . C
M O S T OF T H E B O D Y and part of the neck of a lekythos. The pat
and leads to the large family tomb enclosures of the fourth cen
tern of an original painted floral decoration composed of acanthus
tury B . C The exact findspot of the majority of marble lekythoi is
leaves, tendrils, and volutes on the shoulder as well as an eggand
unknown, but some stood i n pairs at the corners of plots and may
dart border at the top of the body are discernible (see drawing).
have functioned as boundary markers.
8
Most stone lekythoi were originally enlivened with painted floral
designs similar to their terracotta counterparts. For example,
2
the shoulder pattern on this lekythos is similar to that on a white
ground lekythos by the Quadrate Painter i n New York.
1
2
On the front of the vase is a standing female figure i n
threequarter pose to right. She wears a dress with a cloak pulled
up over the back of her head, leaving the front of her full, curly
hair uncovered. Her head is bowed. The fingers of her left hand
ciated with married women. The gesture maybe a reference to the
3
The M e t r o p o l i t a n M u s e u m of A r t 75.2.5: D . Kurtz, Athenian White Lekythoi:
Patterns and Painters (Oxford, 1975), fig. 24a.
4
O n the gesture, see Stears 1995, pp. 11920.
5
Athens, National Archaeological M u s e u m 4495: Clairmont 1993,1: 347 48,
no. 1.377; M u n i c h , Glyptothek 498: VierneiselSchlorb 1988, pp. 12127, no. 19.
6
The two m a i n studies o f marble lekythoi are B. Schmaltz, Untersuchungen
den attischen Marmorlekythen
. The
4
zu
(Berlin, 1970), and A. Prukakis, "The Evolution o f
the Attic Marble Lekythoi and Their Relation to the Problem o f Identifying
woman's right arm crosses her body at the waist, and she fingers a
the Dead among the Figures Shown o n the Funerary Reliefs" (Ph.D. diss.,
L o n d o n Univ., 1971).
fold of the cloak. The figure embodies the ideal Athenian woman,
graceful and modest, with her head bowed i n sorrow.
See D . C. Kurtz and J. Boardman, Greek Burial Customs (Ithaca, N.Y., 1971),
p. 128.
hold the edge of the cloak at shoulder height i n the gesture asso
ritual unveiling of the bride at weddings (anakalypteria)
Report i n the treatment file for the lekythos i n the Department o f Antiquities
Conservation, J. Paul Getty M u s e u m .
3
7
R. Garland, "A First Catalogue o f Attic Peribolos Tombs," Annual of the British
8
A marble lekythos w i t h a horos inscription has survived. See Schmaltz (supra,
School at Athens 77 (1982): 12930.
note 6), pp. 76-77.
THE
C L A S S I C A L
PERIOD
71
Detail o f the painted floral pattern on the shoulder o f the lekythos Malibu 80.AA.157.
Drawing o f the painted floral pattern on the shoulder o f the lekythos Malibu 80.AA.157.
72
A T T I C
F U N E R A R Y
SCULPTURE
Cat. no. 25. Frontal view o f a lekythos. Malibu 80.AA.157.
THE
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
73
26.
Lekythos
Behind the maiden at the right of the composition stands
a boy with a dog. He wears a cloak draped i n such a way that his
About 360 B.C.
right arm, shoulder, and chest are bare, as are his feet. His left
arm is akimbo. The dog is of the type used for hunting. I t raises
9
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 56.5 cm
(22V4 in.); W i d t h : 25.4 cm (10 in.)
its muzzle toward the boys outstretched right hand. Although
the boy holds his hand down to the dog like many figures who
hold a bird i n their hand toward a dog, there is no trace of any
73.AA.132.1
thing i n his hand.
10
There is a distinct space between the fingers
and the thumb. I n addition, the digits are outlined with carved
CONSERVATION
The lekythos is broken at the top through the neck and handle
and at the b o t t o m through the bodyfoot junction. There is
channels.
At the left of the composition, behind the seated man,
some surface chipping, especially along the junction of the
body and shoulder. There are marks of the tooth chisel on the
stands a woman with her elbows resting on the back of the chair
surface of the lekythos. The marble is micaceous and, therefore,
and her right hand raised to her chin. She wears a dress with a
probably Pentelic. It is weathered to a golden brown, and there
long overfold and a cloak drawn up over the back of her head.
11
is incrustation over most of the surface of the lekythos.
The deceased is probably the young woman standing
before her parents. A similar composition of a deceased young
12
PROVENANCE
woman standing i n front of her seated father with her mother
Unknown.
standing behind h i m and accompanied by younger siblings is seen
BIBLIOGRAPHY
on a slightly earlier stele i n Rhamnous.
Frel 1974, no. 7; Frel 1979a, no. 86; Clairmont 1993, intro. vol.,
profile of the lekythos combined with the multifigured scene place
p. 82; ibid., 3: 49192, no. 3.876.
13
The slightly broader
our vase i n the second quarter of the fourth century B.C. A lekythos
of comparable shape, drapery style, and scene w i t h family mem
B O D Y OF A L E K Y T H O S missing its foot and most of its neck.
bers of various ages is i n New York. The injection of a distinctive
14
There are traces of a painted design at the top of the body, proba
gesture, such as that of the mother s arms i n this work, into an
bly originally tongues. I n addition, remains o f a floral pattern on
otherwise conventional display elevates the visual impact from
the shoulder are visible under raking light and magnification. Four
still life to the dramatic.
1
figures and a dog are placed on a small ledge o f marble that cre
ates a groundline for the composition. I n the center of the scene,
a bearded man sits on a chair and faces right. His feet rest on a
2
footstool. They are formless with no toes indicated, so he proba
1
2
bly wears soft boots. A cloak is draped so that his right arm,
the hand of a young woman standing i n front of him, a gesture
The chair is a klismos whose seat is b o t h uncushioned and undraped. See
Richter 1966, pp. 3337.
3
shoulder, and chest are bare. His right arm is extended to shake
Cf. the design o n a lekythos i n the Athenian Agora, inv. s 275: Grossman 1995,
pp. 28485, no. 122, fig. 137.
3
M o r r o w 1985, pp. 8788.
4
O n dexiosis between w o m e n and men, see Stears 1995, p. 126.
5
A seated m a n h o l d i n g a staff that was added i n paint is seen o n a lekythos i n
Athens, Agora s 2219: Grossman 1995, pp. 25456, no. 106. C l a i r m o n t 1993,
denoting the unity of the family even into death. His left hand is
4
3: 491, suggests a bird's head, b u t a close examination reveals that the shape,
raised to hold a stick that terminates i n what appears to be a rams
weathered though i t is, is too rounded. The front o f the shape appears more
head. The shaft of the stick itself was originally painted. The
5
muzzlelike than beaklike. A small projection further back o n the shape w o u l d
practice o f carving the top part o f the walking stick and painting
the shaft was common i n relief sculpture, even o f the highest
quality. Thus, on the East Frieze of the Parthenon, i n the assem
be consistent w i t h a r a m s curling h o r n .
6
M . Robertson, The Parthenon Frieze (New York, 1975), East i v , fig. 27.
7
Reeder 1995, pp. 12628.
8
bly of gods, the staff that Ares holds combines the two techniques
to render it fully.
9
6
The young woman shaking hands with the man wears a
her back, an indication of her youth and maidenhood. I n many
7
places, girls would cut their hair prior to marriage and dedicate i t
Sacrificial
For examples o f funerary monuments w i t h h u n t i n g dogs, see Woysch
Meautis 1982, pp. 5 5 6 0 , p. 127, no. 287, p i . 43, and no. 292, p i . 44.
10 For an example o f a boy holding out a b i r d to a dog, see WoyschMeautis
belted dress with a long overfold and a cloak that covers both
shoulders. Her hair is long, fastened at the neck and falling down
See W. Burkert, Homo Necans: The Anthropology of Ancient Greek
Ritual and Myth (Berkeley, 1983), p. 63 n . 20.
1982, p. 125, no. 267, pi. 40.
11
The figure o f a w o m e n leaning o n the back o f the chair o f a seated figure is
seen o n a lekythos o f roughly the same period i n Athens, Agora s 2216: Gross
m a n 1995, pp. 25659, no. 107.
12 As C l a i r m o n t 1993,3: 491, suggests.
to a deity. The young woman's left hand and forearm are held
13 Rhamnous A p o t h i k i , C l a i r m o n t 1993,3: 450 5 1 , no. 3.710.
alongside her body under the folds of her thin cloak.
14 N e w York, the M e t r o p o l i t a n M u s e u m o f A r t 49.11.4: C l a i r m o n t 1993,4:192
8
93, no. 7.330. The vase is larger, however, and the quality o f the carving finer
than o n the Getty lekythos. The figures have more definition and are more
threedimensional.
74
A T T I C
F U N E R A R Y
SCULPTURE
Cat. no. 26. Frontal view o f a lekythos. Malibu 73.AA.132.!.
THE
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
75
Detail o f the woman and man on the left end o f the figural scene on the lekythos
Detail o f the boy and woman on the right end o f the figural scene on the lekythos
Malibu 73.AA.132.1.
Malibu 73.AA.132.!.
Conservation photo showing details o f the painted pattern on the shoulder o f the lekythos Malibu 73.AA.132.!.
7
6
A T T I C
F U N E R A R Y
SCULPTURE
27.
Loutrophoros of Aristomachos
with His ¥ other Philytes, and
His Brother
At the left of the composition, a bearded man, Philytes,
stands facing right leaning on a stick that originally was painted.
y
These types of figures become popular from the time of the
Parthenon on. I t is the stance of the worthy, learned citizen. Phi
5
lytes wears a cloak wrapped i n such a way that his right arm,
shoulder, and chest are bare. His left arm and hand are wrapped
About 370 B.C.
i n the cloak and rest on top of the stick. His right arm is extended
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 74 cm (29V% i n . ) ;
to shake hands with a standing bearded man, Aristomachos,
W i d t h : 28 cm (11 in.)
probably his son.
6
Aristomachos wears a cloak wrapped like Philytes'. His
83.AA.253
left hand grasps the edge of his cloak just above the waist.
Between the father and son stands a boy facing left. He, too, is
CONSERVATION
The loutrophoros is broken at the b o t t o m just above the foot.
wrapped i n a cloak that leaves his right arm, shoulder, and chest
The neck and the upper part o f the vase have been put together
bare. His right arm and hand are raised i n front of him; his left is
from several fragments. There are chips i n the surface o f the
enfolded i n the cloak. Since he does not wear the tunic of an
vessel. The marble is micaceous and, therefore, probably
Pentelic. There are marks o f the tooth chisel on the surface
attendant but a cloak, he is probably the younger brother of Aris
of the stone.
tomachos. The feet of all three figures are probably shod i n soft
shoes or boots, for all are formless with no toes indicated.
PROVENANCE
7
A similar composition, except for an additional figure
Gift of Vasek Polak, Hermosa Beach, California.
placed behind the man on the right, is seen on a lekythos of the
BIBLIOGRAPHY
same period i n Brauron. I n shape and proportion, the Getty
J. Frel et a l , "Acquisitions/1983," GettyMusJ12 (1984): 235, no. 9;
loutrophoros is similar to a loutrophoros i n Athens. Based on
8
9
SEG 34.236; Butz 1987, Appendix B, p. 209; Clairmont 1993, 2:
the iconography and inscriptions, either the father, Philytes, or
764, no. 2.879; Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 58, no. 61, s.v.
his son, Aristomachos, could be the deceased individual here.
Aristomachos, and p. 461, no. 2, s.v. Philytes; M . Pecasse, "La
Tete a l'envers," i n J. Frel, Studia Varia (Rome, 1994), p. 24 n . 2;
Bodel and Tracy 1997, p. 6.
But since the scene is placed on an loutrophorosamphora—a
monument perhaps associated with unmarried men—Aristoma
chos is probably the deceased son o f Philytes, shown with his
younger brother.
The
Two types of marble loutrophoroi—the amphora and
neck of the vase is articulated with a molding at the mouth and at
the hydria—were used as grave markers beginning near the end
ALMOST
C O M P L E T E L O U T R O P H O R O S of amphora type.
the midpoint; it is carved i n relief against the amphora handles,
of the fifth century B.C. The loutrophorosamphora has two ver
which are blocked out but not fully carved. The handles on many
tical handles; the loutrophoroshydria has one vertical and two
of the marble loutrophoroi are embellished with carved details.
horizontal handles. Both are continuations of terracotta shapes.
1
10
Those that are carved i n outline like the Getty example probably
From the Protogeometric period on, the amphora is associated
originally had details added i n paint. There was probably origi
with male burial, and the horizontalhandled amphora—which
nally a separately carved plateshaped mouth affixed to the top of
is related to the hydria—is associated with women.
the neck. Even loutrophoroi carved i n relief on stelai often have
2
11
It is possible but not certain that loutrophoroi marked
a threedimensionally carved mouth. O n the top of the Getty
the graves of unmarried persons. While it was the custom i n
loutrophoros is a centrally placed circular depression, approxi
Athens to mark specially the graves of those who died unmar
3
mately 4 cm i n diameter, roughly worked with the point chisel.
ried, the way i n which it was done is not completely clear.
This is probably the attachment point for a separately made
Loutrophoros iconography does not support their exclusive use
mouth. A ring molding marks the join of the foot and body.
for unwed individuals.
The names of the two bearded men are inscribed above
their heads:
12
Some scholars believe that the name "loutrophoros" as
used today is a misnomer because the word means a carrier for
the loutra, water for bathing specific to the bridal ritual.
13
The
vases we call loutrophoroi are seen i n both wedding and funeral
OIATTHX APIXTOMAXOX
scenes; their iconography is diverse, with battles, weddings, and
"Philytes Aristomachos"
funerals most often represented. I t is possible that i n antiquity
14
While the name Aristomachos is well attested i n other inscriptions
"loutrophoros" denoted any vase used for water for bathing.
from Athens and many demes of Attika, Philytes is attested i n only
one other inscription from Athens, also of the fourth century B . C
4
THE
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
77
Detail o f the figural scene on the loutrophoros o f Aristomachos.
78
A T T I C
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
Cat. no. 27. Loutrophoros o f Aristomachos. Malibu 83.AA.253.
THE
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
79
Detail o f the inscription on the loutrophoros o f Aristomachos: Philytes.
Detail of the inscription on the loutrophoros of Aristomachos: Aristomachos.
1
2
3
4
5
E.g., a loutrophorosamphora in Copenhagen, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek 1406:
Moltesen 1995, pp. 12223, no. 62.
Such an example is seen on a loutrophoros in Athens, National Archaeologi
cal Museum 3473: Clairmont 1993, 4: 4142, no. 4.237.
E.g., a stele in Paris, Musée du Louvre Ma 784: Hamiaux 1992, p. 185, no. 185.
Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 58, s.v. Aristomachos, and p. 461, s.v. Philytes.
See J. Bergemann, "Die bürgerliche Identität der Athener im Spiegel der atti
schen Grabreliefs," in Griechische Klassik: Vorträge bei der interdisziplinären
Tagung des Deutschen Archäologenverbandes und der Mommsengesellschaft vom
24.-27. Oktober 1991 in Blaubeuren, ed. E. Pöhlmann and W. Gauer, pp. 283
93 (Nuremberg, 1994), esp. pp. 28788; Bergemann 1997, pp. 7678. For the
Parthenon figures, see M . Robertson, The Parthenon Frieze (New York, 1975),
East Frieze, slab iv, figs. 2023, and slab v i , figs. 4 2 4 6 .
On the gesture, called dexiosis, see cat. no. 1, note 7.
Morrow 1985, pp. 8788.
Brauron, Museum B E 837: Clairmont 1993,3: 473, no. 3.843.
Athens, Third Ephoria 1018: Clairmont 1993, 4: 77, no. 4.377. Dating of
loutrophoroi is based on the changing shape of the vessel over time. See
G. Kokula, Marmorlutrophoren
(Berlin, 1984), pp. 13842.
10 The earliest known terracotta loutrophoroi, by the Analatos Painter, are
dated to the late eighth century B.C. See M . B. Moore and M . Z. P. Philippides,
Attic Black-figured Pottery (Princeton, 1986), pp. 1820.
6
7
8
9
80
ATTIC
FUNERARY.
SCULPTURE
11 This seems generally true, although Clairmont 1993, 6:127, notes three excep
tions of loutrophorosamphorae used for women rather than men.
12 E.g., a rectangular block of stone {mensa) bearing a loutrophoros commemo
rates a married couple: IG 11 5614. C. Dehl, "Eine Gruppe früher Lutropho
renstelen aus dem Kerameikos," Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen
Instituts, Athenische Abteilung 96 (1981): 176 n. 49, lists a few examples, which
seem to indicate that the vase was used for married as well as unmarried
women.
2
13 The name of the vase is taken from Demosthenes Against leochares 18. When
asked how he knew that a particular man had died unmarried, Demosthenes
replied that there was a loutrophoros over his grave. Later writers and lexicog
raphers interpret loutrophoros as the person bearing the loutra, a boy or girl,
depending on the sex of the deceased; see Pollux Onomasticon 8.66. J. Board
man, "Pottery from Eretria," Annual of the British School at Athens 47 (1952):
32 n. 192, first suggested that, since there are so many extant examples of the
tall, narrownecked vase known as a loutrophoros, which would indicate
that a high proportion of the population died unmarried, perhaps another
vase shape, the lebes gamikos, was a better candidate for the vase called
"loutrophoros" in ancient literary sources.
14 R. Rehm, Marriage to Death: The Conflation of Wedding and Funeral Rituals in
Greek Tragedy (Princeton, 1994), pp. 3032.
28. Fragment of the Neck and Mouth
of a Lekythos
Fourth century B.C.
Finegrained white marble w i t h gray streaks and mica; Height:
38.5 cm (15 Vs in.); W i d t h : 14.2 cm (5 /s in.)
5
73.AA.132.2
CONSERVATION
The neck is broken at the b o t t o m . There are losses from the
left side o f the m o u t h and chips on the surface. The fragment
once was joined to 73.AA.132.1 (cat. no. 26), but it does not
belong to that lekythos. The marble is micaceous and,
therefore, probably Pentelic. The surface o f the marble has
weathered to a yellowbrown patina. There are marks o f
the tooth chisel on the handle.
PROVENANCE
U n k n o w n (joined to 73.AA.132.1).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Frel 1974, no. 7; Frel 1979a, no. 86; Clairmont 1993, 3: 491,
no. 3.876 (mentioned i n description o f 73.AA.132.1 as an alien
restoration).
P A R T OF T H E N E C K OF A L E K Y T H O S w i t h the back handle and
mouth. The m o u t h has a flaring lip w i t h a straight vertical outer
edge; it curves downward to meet a sharply flaring neck ring.
A graffito is carved on the top surface of the m o u t h . This neck
and
m o u t h would have joined the body and
foot of a large
lekythos. Compare a lekythos i n Copenhagen, which has its orig
inal neck and m o u t h .
1
1
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek 466: Moltesen 1995, pp. 11415? no 55
Cat. no. 28. Fragment o f a lekythos. Malibu 73.^.132.2.
Drawing o f the graffito on the top o f the mouth o f the lekythos Malibu 73.^.132.2.
The front o f the mouth is at the bottom o f the drawing.
T H E
C L A S S I C A L
P E R I O D
81
29.
Lion
in lions carved later i n the fourth century. He seems to fit best
with ones carved between 390 and 370.
About 380 B.C.
1
Although lions had long since vanished from the Attic
countryside by the fourth century B . C , they were associated i n
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 37.4 cm
(i4 /4 in.); Length: 89.9 cm (35% in.); W i d t h : 22.3 cm (8 A in.)
3
3
myth and poetry with ferocity and bravery. Since these qualities
were desirous as protectors of the dead, sculpted stone lions were
57.AA.12
often used as guardians of funerary plots. Animals carved i n the
CONSERVATION
they did not become numerous until the fourth century B . C The
2
round were placed over graves before the Classical period, but
3
The body and head of the lion are intact, except that his nose
is chipped, and his left ear is partly missing. His tail, legs, and a
splinter on his front flank are missing. The back has been recut
use o f funerary lions is continuous from the Archaic period on.
Possibly the earliest known Attic grave lion is one from the Athen
ian Agora, dated about 530 B.C. The most elaborate and, therefore,
4
and flattened i n modern times. The marble is micaceous and,
most expensive family plots (periboloi)
therefore, probably Pentelic.
i n the Kerameikos ceme
tery i n Athens had boundary markers o f freestanding sculptures
PROVENANCE
of mythical and animal figures such as Sirens and lions. Lions
5
U n t i l 1918 i n the collection of Maurice, Viscount of Dresnay,
Chateau Dreneuc, at Fegreac i n Brittany.
were set up i n pairs, one at either end of large tomb facades.
6
BIBLIOGRAPHY
P. Perdrizet, Paris, sale, Antiquites grecques de la collection du
Vicomte du Dresnay, 1918, p. 4, no. v n ; "Accessions of American
and Canadian Museums, JulySeptember, 1957," Art
1
This includes lions i n Boston, M u s e u m o f Fine Arts 65.563: M . Comstock and
C. Vermeule, Sculpture in Stone (Boston, 1976), p . 52, no. 76; Providence,
Quarterly
M u s e u m o f A r t , Rhode Island School o f Design, no. 15.003: Vermeule 1981,
20 (1957): 469 (no. 2 i n fourth entry under heading "Greek");
p. 97, no. 66; Paris, Musee d u Louvre M a 166769: Hamiaux 1992, pp. 21112,
H . Stothart, "Two Attic Funerary Lions of the 4th Century,"
nos. 216 18; and Athens, National Archaeological M u s e u m 801: Vedder 1985,
Bulletin of the J. Paul Getty Museum of Art 1.1 (1957): 1821; Getty
p. 285, no. T 10. O n the difficulties o f establishing a chronology for lions, see
et al. 1965, pp. 5455; Stothart 1965, p. 15 (listed incorrectly as
M . MertensHorn, "Studien zu griechischen Lowenbildern," Mitteilungen
A 57.S8); Vermeule and Von Kersburg 1968, p. 100; Vermeule
des
Deutschen Archaologischen Instituts, Romische Abteilung 93 (1986): 46 47.
and Neuerburg 1973, p. 9, no. 14; Frel 1979a, p. 15, no. 60;
Vermeule and V o n Kersburg 1968, pp. 99101, and Vermeule 1972, pp. 4952,
Vedder 1985, pp. 82, 294, no. T 54.
set up a relative chronology for lions, b u t some o f the lions i n the earlier list
have been redated i n later publications. The chronology seems too precise i n
m y view. Another scheme, w i t h many agreements w i t h Vermeule, is found
i n Vedder 1985, p. 166.
L I O N F A C I N G R I G H T , crouching on his front legs, and turning
his head to face the viewer. Three rows of locks form the mane,
which is composed of flamelike tufts going i n different directions.
2
For a discussion o f various views o n the meaning o f lions, see M e r t e n s H o r n
3
D . C. Kurtz and J. Boardman, Greek Burial Customs (Ithaca, N.Y., 1971),
4
Agora s 1740: E. B. Harrison, The Athenian Agora, vol. 11, Archaic and
(supra, note 1), pp. 4851.
The ears are prominent i n the first row of locks, although the
proper left is largely broken away. The first two rows of locks from
pp. 13536.
the face are parted i n the center. The mane continues for some dis
tance along the spine. The eyes are large and deepset under craggy
later Archaic and Classical periods, w h i c h crouch, this one is seated.
5
R. Garland, "A First Catalogue o f Attic Peribolos Tombs," Annual of the British
6
A pair i n Athens, National Archaeological M u s e u m 803 and 804, were found
School at Athens 77 (1982): 129.
brows. His open mouth shows individually carved teeth.
This lion is rather simply carved and lacks naturalistic
features such as delineated muscle groups and surface veins seen
82
A T T I C
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
Archais-
tic Sculpture (Princeton, 1965), pp. 2728, no. 90. Unlike most lions f r o m the
i n context i n the D i p y l o n cemetery: C l a i r m o n t 1993,1: 6 7 , nos. 3 a b .
Cat. no. 29. Right profile view o f a lion. Malibu 57.AA.12.
Cat. no. 29. Left profile view o f a lion. Malibu 57.AA.12.
T H E
C L A S S I C A L
P E R I O D
83
30. Lion
L O N G A N D L A N K Y L I O N with details of his musculature and
skeleton carved i n a naturalistic manner. He faces left and origi
About 350 B . C .
nally crouched on his front legs, which are now missing. His head
Finegrained white marble; Height: 36.7 cm (14V2 in.); Length:
92 cm (36V4 in.); W i d t h : 20.3 cm (8 in.)
is almost i n left profile, only slightly turned toward the viewer.
Three rows of locks at the front and six rows on the back form the
mane, which lies flat around the neck and continues to a m i d
57.AA.11
point on his back. Each lock is pointed and made up of four
CONSERVATION
surface of the rest o f the body is worked with a rasp and tooth
strands of hair. The ears are large and recessed i n the mane. The
The head and body o f the l i o n are complete. The legs and tail
are missing. There are some chips i n the mane. The highly
weathered surface shows scattered incrustation and tool marks.
The white marble has weathered to a yellowishbrown color.
chisel to simulate the hide o f the animal, more prominently on
the front than on the back. The eyes are small and round; the
mouth is closed.
The lion seems to fit best with those dated about the
PROVENANCE
middle of the fourth century. The treatment of the locks of the
1
Unknown.
mane and the hide is similar to that seen on lions from the Mau
soleum of Halikarnassos of about 350 B.C. The face lacks the
2
BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Accessions of American and Canadian Museums, J u l y
emotionality of lions carved slightly after the middle o f the cen
September, 1957," Art Quarterly 20 (1957): 469 (no. 1 i n fourth
tury under the influence o f the sculptor Skopas.
3
entry under heading "Greek"), 471 (fig.); H . Stothart, "Two
Attic Funerary Lions o f the 4th Century," Bulletin of the
J. Paul Getty Museum of Art
1.1 (1957): 1821; Getty et al. 1965,
pp. 5455; Stothart 1965, p. 15 (labeled incorrectly as A 57.S9);
1
Vermeule and V o n Kersburg 1968, p. 100; Vermeule and
Neuerburg 1973, p. 9, no. 15; Frel 1979a, p. 15, no. 61; Vedder
1985, pp. 82, 294, no. T 53.
2
3
84
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
This includes lions in Paris, Musee du Louvre Ma 827: Hamiaux 1992, p. 210,
no. 215; Athens, National Archaeological Museum 802: Vedder 1985, p. 285, no.
T 11; and a relief image on the stele of Leon, Athens, National Archaeological
Museum 770: Clairmont 1993,1: 5, no. 1.
London, British Museum 1075,1077, and 1080. These are classified by Waywell
as type 1 lions: G. Waywell, The Tree-Standing Sculptures of the Mausoleum at
Halicarnassus in the British Museum (London, 1978), pp. 18083, nos. 401,
404, 405, pis. 3738.
E.g., Vermeule 1972, p. 51, pi. 14, figs. i 2 a b (a pair of lions from Tampourias
of 320 B.C. in Piraeus, Museum 2243 and 2244). Others are listed in Vermeule
and Von Kersburg 1968, p. 100.
Cat. no. 30. Left profile view o f a lion. Malibu 57.AA.11.
Cat. no. 30. Right profile view o f a lion. Malibu 57.AA.11.
T H E
C L A S S I C A L
P E R I O D
85
31. Lion
C R O U C H I N G L I O N F A C I N G L E F T while turning his head to con
front the viewer. His body is lean and muscular with ribs and sur
About 325 B . C .
face blood vessels naturalistically rendered. The front o f the lion
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 58 c m (22% i n . ) ;
Length: 108 cm (42V2 in.); W i d t h : 28.5 c m (11V4 in.)
is more anatomically detailed than the back. The mane is com
posed of large pointed locks of three or four flat strands. Approx
imately seven rows o f locks extend from the right side o f the face
96. AA.105
around to the back o f the head. The locks are more schematically
CONSERVATION
of the back. A center part divides the two rows o f locks nearest
The head and body o f the l i o n are complete; the legs and tail
the face. Deep grooves mark the cheeks and the area between the
carved at the back of the head. The mane extends to the midpoint
are missing. There are large chips on the nose and on the end
of the left brow; one large chip has been reattached to the inside
eyes. The eyeballs are rounded. The mouth flanges are smooth.
of the proper right foreleg. The surface of the marble is basically
The mouth is open, revealing his individually carved teeth. The
intact, w i t h a scattering o f chips. There is light weathering,
muzzle and lower jaw are particularly prominent rounded forms.
especially on the proper right side of the animal, and a light beige
The genitals are indicated only i n a perfunctory way.
incrustation over the entire surface. The marble is micaceous
and, therefore, probably Pentelic. The back has marks o f the flat
chisel; the front, marks o f the tooth chisel and rasp.
The
naturalistic details, such as surface veins and hair,
place this lion with ones carved after the middle o f the fourth
century, which was when the largest and most dramatic speci
PROVENANCE
mens were carved. Although this lion has features i n common
Gift o f Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman, New York City.
with lions in New York, Copenhagen, and Minneapolis—all dated
1
about 330 B . C — t h e face o f the Getty lion is more expressive
2
BIBLIOGRAPHY
True and H a m m a 1994, p. 111, no. 49.
and
has details i n common with a pair o f lions i n Piraeus,
carved about ten years later. Particularly striking is the ridged
3
detail on the snout that extends from the nostrils and bisects the
upper lip. The Piraeus lions are, however, larger, about twice the
size o f the Getty lion.
1
2
3
86
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
Vermeule and Von Kersburg 1968, pp. 100101; Vermeule 1972, p. 52.
New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art 09.221.9: G. M. A. Richter, Catalogue of Greek Sculptures in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Cambridge,
Mass., 1954), p. 82, no. 145; Copenhagen, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek 2448: Molte
sen 1995, p. 78, no. 22; Minneapolis Institute of Arts 25.25: Vermeule 1981,
p. 113, no. 84. Also see Vedder 1985, p. 296, no. T 60, p. 294, no. T 51, and p. 295,
no. T 56, respectively.
Piraeus, Museum 2243 and 2244: Vedder 1985, p. 297, nos. T 67 and T 68; Ver
meule 1972, pi. 14, figs. i2ab.
Cat. no. 31. Left profile view o f a lion. Malibu 96.AA.105.
Cat. no. 31. Right profile view o f a lion. Malibu 96.AA.105.
T H E
C L A S S I C A L
P E R I O D
87
32. Lion
L I O N S I T T I N G E R E C T on his haunches looking straight ahead. He
is placed o n a small p l i n t h that must have been set into a larger
About 310 B . C .
base for display i n the cemetery. The musculature and anatomy
2
are rendered naturalistically. The mane is composed o f pointed
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height: 109.5 c m
(43Vs in.); W i d t h : 27.7 cm (io /s i n . ) ; Depth: 40.4 cm (i5 /s in.)
7
7
locks that continue down b o t h the front and the back to the m i d
point o f the body. A single row o f raised locks frames the face; the
remainder lie flat and are arranged randomly. The rest of the body
73.AA.121
has been worked w i t h the tooth chisel to simulate the hide o f
CONSERVATION
the animal. The face is large, its m o u t h open to reveal upper and
The forelegs as well as part o f the base o f the right back foot
and the tail are broken off. There are areas o f loss o n the mane
and chips over the surface o f the animal. The very end o f the
lower teeth, which are carved individually. The restoration o f the
muzzle and lower jaw, which was done around the beginning o f
mane o n the back is broken away. The muzzle and lower jaw
the twentieth century, is too large for the rest of the l i o n and, there
were restored i n marble while the statue was i n the van Brante
fore, causes the l i o n to have a stupid rather than a fierce expression.
ghem collection around 1900; they were removed and re
The eyes are triangular w i t h rounded eyeballs. A deep vertical
restored i n 1974. The marble is micaceous and, therefore,
groove between the eyes continues up the forehead into the mane.
1
probably Pentelic. The p l i n t h is worked w i t h the point chisel
This l i o n seems likely to be a reproduction o f the m o n u
for insertion into a base.
mental seated l i o n at Chaironeia. That l i o n is constructed o f
3
blocks o f marble, and the statue itself measures over nine feet.
PROVENANCE
F r o m Marathon. Formerly i n the collection of Adolphe
It is placed o n a plinth approximately six feet high marking a
van Branteghem, Brussels.
tomb containing some 250 skeletons—Theban casualties from
the battle between the Macedonians under Philip 11 and Athens
BIBLIOGRAPHY
allied w i t h Thebes, which was fought at the site i n 338 B.C. The
4
The J. Paul Getty Museum Guidebook (Malibu, 1974), p. 13;
ibid. (Malibu, 1975), p.. 33; ibid. (Malibu, 1976), pp. 38, 40.
M . Collignon, Les Statues funeraires dans Vartgrec (Paris,
1911), p. 230; F. Willemsen, Die Lowenkopf-Wasserspeier am
Dach des Zeustempels (Berlin, 1959), p. 69; Vermeule and
Von Kersburg 1968, p. 100; J. Frel, Les Sculpteurs attiques
Getty l i o n would have been carved sometime after the comple
t i o n o f the monument at Chaironeia, which was most likely
shortly after 316 B.C. Stylistically, the Getty l i o n looks back to
5
lions carved about fifteen years earlier.
6
anonymes, 430-300 B.C. (Prague, 1969), p. 365; Vermeule 1972,
p. 51, fig. 4; G. M . A. Hanfmann, "Lydian Relations w i t h Ionia
and Persia," Proceedings of the xth International Congress of
Classical Archaeology (Ankara, 1978), 1: 34, and 3: p i . 12,fig.17;
Frel 1979a, p. 16, no. 62; Frel 1979b, p. 43, no. 62; Vermeule 1981,
1
2
p. 127, no. 98; Vedder 1985, pp. 8586, 88, 97,199 n n . 46768,
p. 295, no. T 55.
3
4
5
6
88
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
Information in the central object file in the Department of Antiquities in the
Getty Museum.
Cf. the reconstruction drawing of the grave precinct of Dionysios in the Kera
meikos cemetery in Athens: A. Brueckner, Der Friedhofam Eridanos hex der
Hagia Triada zu Athen (Berlin, 1909), p. 82, fig. 49.
For the lion at Chaironeia, see G. M . A. Richter, Animals in Greek Sculpture
(New York, 1930), pp. 8 9 , 52, fig. 29; O. Broneer, The Lion Monument at
Amphipolis (Cambridge, 1941), pp. 3541.
On the monument, see Pausanias Guide to Greece 9.40.5. On the battle, see
Diodorus Siculus 16.85.586.6.
U. Knigge, "Zum Lowen von Kantzas," Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archaologischen Instituts, Athenische Abteilung 91 (1976): 17071, convincingly argues
that the monument could not have been erected earlier, even though it com
memorates those who fell in the battle of 338 B.C.
The lion has certain stylistic resemblances to those carved earlier, e.g., the lion
in Cincinnati Art Museum, inv. 1946.40. Vermeule 1972, p. 51, states that the
two lions were carved by the same sculptor, but he seems later to have changed
his mind, since he dates the Getty lion to the late fourth century in a subse
quent publication: Vermeule 1981, p. 127, no. 98.
Cat. no. 32. Front and back views o f a lion. Malibu 73.AA.121.
T H E
C L A S S I C A L
P E R I O D
89
Cat. no. 32. Right profile view o f a lion. Malibu 73.AA.121.
90
A T T I C
F U N E R A R Y
S C U L P T U R E
33-
Two Doves
Two
DOVES
ON PLINTHS,
one facing left (.1), the other facing
right (.2). They look straight ahead, and their wings are folded.
350300 B.C.
Their eyes are round with a groove incised around each one to set
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; Height .1:17 cm (6 A i n . ) ,
3
.2:16.5 cm (6V2 in.); Length .1: 25 cm (9% in.), .2: 24.5 cm
off the eyeball. Their beaks are divided into upper and lower parts
by incised lines.
Doves appear frequently on Attic stelai, mostly as akrote
(9 /s in.); W i d t h .1: 9.7 cm (3% in.), .2: 9.8 cm (3% in.)
5
ria and usually carved i n one piece with the slab. The size of these
1
doves indicates that they come from a large grave monument,
78.AA.47.1.2
probably a naiskos, where they would have been placed on the cor
CONSERVATION
ners of the pediment as akroteria. Several doves carved separately
2
The ends of the beaks are missing. There are small chips along
the edges of both birds. The fronts are covered w i t h a light
are i n the storerooms of the Kerameikos Museum i n Athens.
The purpose o f doves on funerary monuments would
yellowish incrustation and are slightly more weathered than
the backs; the backs are less well modeled but better preserved.
3
have been as mourners. As the sacred animals of Persephone, a
The marble is micaceous and, therefore, probably Pentelic. The
goddess who spent half of every year i n the Underworld, doves
undersides o f the birds are roughly finished w i t h the point
were regarded as birds of sorrow; live specimens were given as
chisel. There are rasp marks on the bodies o f the birds.
offerings on the tomb. When they appear on funerary monu
4
PROVENANCE
ments, it is often i n the company of a Siren, a hybrid creature part
Formerly i n the collection o f Joseph Brummer, New York City.
woman and part bird, who lamented the dead.
5
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The J Paul Getty Museum Guidebook (Los Angeles, 1954), p. 21,
no. 4; ibid. (Los Angeles, 1956), p. 13, no. 4.
1
ParkeBernet Galleries, New York, sale, Estate of Joseph
Brummer, A p r i l 20—23,1949> lot no. 167; Stothart 1965, p. 22 (as
148); Frel 1979a, no. 72.
O n doves as decorative elements o n funerary monuments, see Woysch
Meautis, p. 42. Cf. two doves o n top o f a loutrophoros i n relief i n L o n d o n ,
British M u s e u m 1915.45.1: C l a i r m o n t 1993, 2: 513, no. 2.417b.
2
Cf. a stele i n Chalkis, M u s e u m 925: WoyschMeautis, p. 124, no. 254, p i . 37.
3
Seen by the author d u r i n g research i n Athens i n 1996.
4
WoyschMeautis 1982, pp. 5253.
5
Euripides Helen 16778, trans. N . C u r r y (Cambridge, 1981).
Cat. no. 33. Two doves, in their approximate relation to one another, from a funerary monument.
Malibu 78.AA.47.1-2.
THE
C L A S S I C A L
P E R I O D
91
34-
Anthemion
different straight and curving elements called taenia, cavetto, and
A b o u t 320 B . C .
sixleafed halfpalmettes with a longstemmed flower between
ovolo. The shell anthemion is a split palmette composed o f two
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; traces o f red color;
Height: 76 c m (29% i n . ) ; W i d t h : 60.3 c m (23 /4 i n . ) ; Depth:
3
26.7 c m (10V2 in.)
them, all, including their volutes, rising from thick stems and a
curlyleafed acanthus. The volutes are decorated w i t h rosettes o f
3
eight petals. A second pair o f volutes rests on the horizontal
molding at the corners.
Funerary monuments provided ancient sculptors the
79.AA.18
opportunity to demonstrate their technical virtuosity w i t h both
CONSERVATION
The left b o t t o m and right top are missing. The outer margin o f
the anthemion is chipped all along the front edge. The marble
ornamental and figural subjects. This akroterion shows the sculp
tor's skill i n carving floral decoration. The diversity among
is micaceous and, therefore, probably Pentelic. I t has weathered
anthemia w i t h respect to detail is large, but all are essentially vari
to a reddishbrown patina. There are toothchisel marks on the
ations on the theme o f a central palmette whose leaves, turned
sides; some o f the original roughpicked back surface remains,
either outward or inward, grow out of a centrally placed bunch o f
b u t most o f the back is a broken surface.
acanthus leaves. Frequently, the carving o f the anthemion is o f
greater quality than a figural scene on the same stele.
PROVENANCE
This anthemion is similar to the one on a nearly com
Unknown.
plete stele w i t h a recessed figural panel and two rosettes that is
BIBLIOGRAPHY
in Calimera. I t belongs to the group o f more luxuriant and
Frel 1979b, p. 44, no. 86 bis; S. Margolis and W. Showers,
threedimensional anthemia carved i n the latter part o f the
4
"Ancient Greek and Roman Sculpture: Authentication,
Weathering, and Provenance Determination," i n Marble:
Art
Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Ancient
fourth century B.C.
Sculpture,
pp. 28399 (Malibu, 1990), esp. p. 286, Table 1, no. 8.
1
C A R V E D I N T H E S H A P E OF luxuriant vegetation, this anthemion
was the crowning element o f a grave relief. Classical Attic grave
1
2
Attic Selection, 750 400 B . C , " i n Ancient Greek and Related Pottery, ed.
440s and 430s B . C . — m u c h earlier than any carved marble ex
H . Bridjer (Amsterdam, 1984), p. 323, fig. 7.
3
92
ATTIC
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
Cf. a shell anthemion i n New York, the Metropolitan M u s e u m of A r t
07.286.107: G. M . A. Richter, Catalogue of Greek Sculptures in the Metro-
ing the anthemion from the stele below is preserved at the right
lower corner o f the fragment. The molding is composed o f three
These representations of tall stelai w i t h anthemia appear o n whiteground
1958, painted by the Inscription Painter: D . Kurtz, "Vases for the Dead, an
tive element (anthemion) first appear on terracotta vases i n the
2
atti-
lekythoi, an example o f which is Athens, National Archaeological M u s e u m
monuments i n the form o f tall stelai crowned by a floral decora
amples found to date. A portion o f the carved molding separat
O n anthemia, see U. Vedder, Untersuchungen zur plastischen Ausstattung
scher Grabanlagen des 4. Jhs. v. Chr. (Frankfurt, 1985), pp. 4 8 6 1 .
politan Museum of Art (Cambridge, Mass., 1954), p . 64, no. 95.
4
Calimera, Comune: Clairmont 1993, 2:592, no. 2.462a.
Cat. no. 34. Front view o f an anthemion from a funerary monument. Malibu 79.AA.18.
T H E
C L A S S I C A L
P E R I O D
93
Cat. no. 34. Back view o f an anthemion from a funerary monument. Malibu 79.AA.18.
94
A T T I C
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
Attic Funerary Sculpture
THE
HELLENISTIC
35 Grave Naiskos ofApollonia
PERIOD
W. Coulson, eds., pp. 7980 (London, 1998); D . W. Von
Moock, Die figurlichen Grabstelen Attikas in der Kaiserzeit
(Mainz, 1998), p. 27 n. 328, p. 35, p. 52 n. 635, p. 78 nn. 92829,
About 100 B . C
p. 170, no. 450.
Finegrained white marble w i t h mica; polychromy; Height:
112.4 cm (44V4 in.); W i d t h : 63.5 c m (25 in.); Depth: 20 c m
( /8in.)
7
7
NAISKOS
FRAMED
B Y A N T A S supporting an architrave. A n
inscription on the architrave reads:
74.AA.13
AITOAAONIA APIXTANAPOT K A I OHBAFENEIAX
CONSERVATION
Part o f the b o t t o m is missing, and there are some breaks. The
"Apollonia, (daughter) of Aristandros and Thebageneia"
back o f the stone is weathered w i t h a dark b r o w n crust. The
front o f the stone has been cleaned to reveal the whiteness o f
the marble. The marble is micaceous and, therefore, probably
The names Apollonia and Aristandros are attested i n other
Pentelic. The back has been finished roughly w i t h the point
inscriptions from Athens and from some o f the demes o f Attika,
chisel. The b o t t o m o f the front has also been left w i t h a rough
Thebageneia perhaps on a gravestone from Thebes.
pointchisel finish where i t w o u l d have been embedded i n a
base. There are rasp marks o n the cloak and dress. The sides
have been finished w i t h a tooth chisel. Traces o f the original red
paint remain o n the sandals. There are four holes, two above
the lateral antas and two i n the corners o f the field. I n one o f
2
Apollonia stands at the right i n a threequarter frontal
position facing left. She wears a dress fastened by a r o u n d b u t t o n
visible on the right shoulder and belted above the waist. A cloak is
draped over her left shoulder and arm. She wears platform sandals,
them, part o f the i r o n peg for holding funerary wreaths still can
which, especially, help to date the monument. The sole is indented
be seen. The holes are an interesting feature o f this monument,
between the first and second toes and follows the contours o f the
for they are tangible evidence o f the rituals and cult practices
that took place at gravesites: the wreaths o f flowers, leaves, and
1
vines that were hung o n the grave monuments.
toes, which overhang the sole slightly. The sandals are similar to
3
one worn by Aphrodite i n the socalled SlipperSlapper group
statue o f the goddess and Pan from Delos, dated about 100 B . C
Apollonia s hair is chin length w i t h a central braid, like
PROVENANCE
Unknown.
the hairstyle o f Demainete discussed i n catalogue number 2 4 .
5
Her face is a long, narrow oval w i t h large eyes. The running d r i l l
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The J. Paul Getty Museum Guidebook (Malibu, 1975), p. 31;
ibid. (Malibu, 1976), p. 37.
Frel 1974, no. 11; W. Trillmich, Das
Torlonia-Madchen
has been used to create the line between her lips. The ends o f her
hair locks and her nostrils are likewise drilled. I n her left hand
she holds a pomegranate, and w i t h her right she strokes a dove
(Gottingen, 1976), p. 46 n. 157; Frel 1979a, p. 24, no. 92;
perched on top o f a tall rectangular pillar. Objects placed atop
Vermeule 1981, p. 202, no. 167; S. Lymperopoulos,
pillars, such as herms, Sirens, vessels, and wool baskets, are fea
Untersuchungen zu den nachklassischen Attischen
tured i n the backgrounds of many Hellenistic funerary stelai. They
Grabreliefs
unter besonderer Berucksichtigung der Kaiserzeit (Hamburg,
1985), no. G I ; A. H . Armstrong, ed., Classical
Mediterranean
Spirituality: Egyptian, Greek, Roman (New York, 1986),
6
are interpreted by some as symbolic o f the deceased's character
and role i n society. The pomegranate and the dove are clear ref
7
p. 371, fig. 29 (image only); Butz 1987, pp. 7582, no. i v ;
erences to death and the Underworld and suggest an association
I . SpiliopoulouDonderer, "Das Grabrelief der Apollonia
w i t h Persephone, daughter o f the goddess Demeter who was fated
i m J. Paul Getty Museum," Roman Funerary Monuments in
to spend half o f each year i n the Underworld.
the J. Paul Getty Museum, vol. 1 (Malibu, 1990), pp. 514;
SEG 40.229; M . T h . Le Dinahet, "Bulletin epigraphique:
Collections, Musees, Pierres Errantes," Revue des Etudes
grecques 104 (1991): 437, no. 30; M . T h . Le Dinahet and
The stele dates to the first half o f the first century B.C. on
the basis o f drapery, hair, shoe style, and the spatial relationship
between the figure and its architectural frame, and because o f the
N . Mouret, "Les Steles funeraires grecques: Etudes stylistiques
classicistic treatment o f the body and face. I t may be compared to
et iconographiques, annees 19801992," Topoi 3 (1993): 128,
an Attic gravestone o f the first century B . C i n Grenoble, which
no. 61; Osborne and Byrne 1993, p. 44, s.v. Apollonia, and 51,
depicts a woman and a man. The highgirt dresses o f Apollonia
s.v. Aristandros; Bodel and Tracy 1997, p. 6; J. B. Grossman,
and o f the woman on the Grenoble stele are similar, as are the
"Hellenistic Sculpted Funerary Monuments from the Athenian
Agora," i n Regional Schools in Hellenistic Sculpture: Proceedings
of an International Conference Held at the American School of
Classical Studies at Athens, March 15-17,1996, O. Palagia and
8
simply carved hands, which are large i n proportion to the rest o f
the anatomy b o t h on Apollonia and on the male figure on the
Grenoble stele.
THE
HELLENISTIC
PERIOD
95
4
Detail o f the inscription on the grave naiskos o f Apollonia.
This is a remarkable work. Even though the carving is
clothes—clearly a growing girl. But her muscle tone, slight back
not of the highest quality, the image is uniquely moving and
ward slouch, and not just bent but inwardturned knee are expres
poignant. The size of Apollonia s feet, arm, hand, length of hair,
sive of a contrary mood of stasis and resignation. Here are the
and face all conspire to make her seem a bit too big for her
elements of poetic tragedy.
1
For wreaths o n funerary monuments as part o f graveside cult practice, see
E. J. Walters, Attic Grave Reliefs That Represent Women in the Dress
5
Hesperia, Supplement 22 (1988), pp. 4345. The pins are possibly an addition
2
p. 35, interprets Apollonia's hairstyle as Late Republican and Augustan, b u t
i n the Roman period.
a central braid is c o m m o n l y seen o n girls o n Classical and Hellenistic Greek
Davies 1971, pp. 4748, no. 1647; Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 44, s.v. A p o l l o
monuments.
nia, and p. 51, s.v. Aristandros; S. Koumanoudes, Thebaike
Prosopographia
(Athens, 1979), p. 99, no. 943, Thebageneias(?), p. 222.
M o r r o w 1985, pp. 9193,163, fig. 9a.
4
Athens, National Archaeological M u s e u m 3335: S. Karouzou, National
Archae-
ological Museum: Collection of Sculpture, A Catalogue (Athens, 1968), pp. 189
90, pi. 68.
A T T I C
FUNERARY
6
O n doves i n funerary symbolism, see WoyschMeautis 1982, pp. 5051.
7
See Smith 1991, p. 189.
8
3
96
O n the central braid as an age indicator, see Vorster 1983, pp. 2123; D . von
M o o c k , Die figurlichen Grabstelen Attikas in der Kaiserzeit (Mainz, 1998),
oflsis,
SCULPTURE
Musee de Grenoble 376: M . Daumas and B. H o l t z m a n n , "Une Stele attique
signee au Musee de Grenoble," Monuments
Piotj^
(1993): 124.
Cat. no. 35. Grave naiskos o f Apollonia. Malibu 74.AA.13.
T H E
H E L L E N I S T I C
P E R I O D
97
Megarian Funerary Sculpture
THE
EARLY
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
36. Grave Stele ofPollis
A E T O nOAAIX AXOniXO O I A O E HYIOE:
O K A K O X E O N AIIE0NAXKON
About 480 B.C.
HTnO X T [ I ] K T A I X I N ETONE
" I speak, I , Pollis dear son of Asopichos,
Parian marble; Height: 153 cm (60V4 in.); W i d t h : 45.1 cm
1
not having died a coward, w i t h the wounds o f
(i7 /4 in.); Depth: 15.9 cm (6VA in.)
3
the tattooers, yes myself"
3
90.AA.129
The name Pollis is attested at Athens and i n the demes o f Attika.
CONSERVATION
4
The tattooers mentioned i n the inscription probably refer to
The upper part o f the stele is complete, although i t was broken
Thracians, a tribal people from the northern part o f Greece who
5
and repaired at some point i n its history. The lower portion,
from just below the knees o f Pollis, is broken away. There are
were formidable opponents, and who fought against the Greeks
large gouges o n the surface o f the stone i n the area o f the relief;
under the Persian commander Xerxes i n 480 B.C.
6
the face o f Pollis has been almost completely obliterated. There
The figure of Pollis is carved i n shallow relief i n a slightly
is extensive chipping along the left side o f the relief, and Pollis's
recessed area w i t h sloping sides. He is shown i n right profile
proper right shoulder is broken away. The back o f the stone is
bending forward slightly, which gives a sense of imminent move
finished w i t h the point chisel; the sides are smooth. O n the top
o f the stele is a broken rectangular area 8.3 X 24.8 cm {3V4 X
ment: Pollis is poised, ready for action. Though nude, he is out
9 A in.), which is the remnant o f something that has broken
fitted w i t h the panoply of a hoplite soldier: helmet, sheathed
off, possibly a finial. Ultraviolet examination suggests the
sword, shield, and spear. The helmet has a high plume and low
presence o f remnants o f painting o n several areas o f the relief:
ered cheekpieces. The outline of a visor can be seen to the right of
3
the background at the lower right, the proper right leg and knee
of Pollis, and the upper face o f the stele, which suggests an
the defaced head. The visor and the cheekpieces, which were per
haps crenellated, are the distinguishing features of the Thracian
original painted floral design or, possibly, rosettes. The design
i n the area at the lower right, just below the spear, possibly
helmet that was developed i n the early fifth century, during the
suggests a dog. The surface o f the marble is weathered, w i t h
period of the Persian Wars. The sword was probably suspended
a brownish patina.
from a baldric that originally would have been painted. The shield
PROVENANCE
depth of the carving, the details of the musculature are conveyed
7
is tilted to give a view of its interior surface. I n spite of the shallow
Unknown.
with extraordinary clarity and sophistication. I n a terse, muscular
style, the anonymous sculptor has captured the pose of a foot sol
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The J Paul Getty Museum Handbook of the Collections (Malibu,
dier advancing cautiously w i t h his shield raised and his spear
1991), p. 20; ibid. (Los Angeles, 1997), p. 19.
ready, a m o t i f that was likely all too familiar to h i m . The fact that
8
Atlantis Antiquities, New York, sale, Greek and Roman Art,
the depth of the background varies according to the require
1990, l o t no. 13; SEG 40.404; "Getty Museum Acquires Rare
ments of the element that i t surrounds is a convention that con
Stele," Minerva 2.4 (1991): 34; "Acquisitions Supplement,"
GettyMusJ19
tinues from the Archaic period. The stele ofPollis is representative
(1991): 129,136, no. 6; SEG 41.413; D . Birge, "Field
Notes," Archaeological News 17.14 (1992): 41; S. Follet,
of the transition between the Archaic and the Classical styles o f
"Bulletin epigraphique," Revue des Etudes grecques 105 (1992):
rendering the human body.
441, no. 21; T. Schafer, "Gepickt and Versteckt: Zur Bedeutung
The subject of the relief—the warrior i n battle—is
u n d Funktion aufgerauhter Oberflachen i n der spatarchaischen
important i n the history of Greek sculpture. Reliefs from the
u n d fruhklassischen Plastik," Jahrbuch des Deutschen
Archaic period, such as the grave monument of Aristion i n Athens,
Archaologischen Instituts 111 (1996): 51; Bodel and Tracy 1997,
depicted the warrior at rest. Later preserved sculpture i n the
9
p. 9.
round, such as the pedimental figures from the Temple of Aphaia
on Aigina, and small bronze figurines, as well as depictions i n
T A L L , N A R R O W S T E L E T A P E R I N G inward from the b o t t o m to the
Attic redfigured vasepainting, demonstrate that the warrior i n
top w i t h a figural area occupying most o f the front. A threeline
motion was a popular subject during the first half of the fifth cen
inscription is placed on the upper part o f the stele just above the
tury B . C .
figural area. I t is carved w i t h letter forms characteristic of those
wars w i t h Persia occurred throughout that period and involved
from Megara, a town situated on the borders of both Corinth and
most mainland Greeks. Pollis, the man commemorated on our
Attica, and names the deceased as Pollis, the son o f Asopichos.
stele, probably died i n one o f the battles o f the Persian Wars.
98
M E G A R I A N
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
2
10
This is not surprising, considering that the series o f
Cat. no. 36. Crave stele o f Pollls. Malibu 90.AA.129.
THE
EARLY
C L A S S I C A L
PERIOD
99
1
Stable isotope analysis by N o r m a n Herz at the University o f Georgia, Febru
ary 2000.
2
The inscription uses b o t h Attic and Corinthian letter forms; e.g., epsilon looks
like a beta, the gamma is simplified and looks like a C. This is typical o f the
Megarian alphabet o f the early fifth century. See L . H . Jeffrey, The Local Greek
Scripts of Archaic Greece, rev. edn. (Oxford, 1990), pp. 13238, 442.
3
Proposed b y J. Bousquet, L. Dubois, and O. Masson: see SEG 41.413.
4
Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 371, s.v. Pollis.
5
Herodotos 5.6 ( i n the section o n customs o f the Thracians); Herondas
Mime 5.65.
6
Herodotos 7.185.
7
A . M . Snodgrass, Arms and Armour of the Greeks (Ithaca, N.Y., 1967), p. 95,
pl 53
8
The sculptural technique is typical o f the Severe or Bold Style o f the early fifth
century B.C. See B. S. Ridgway, The Severe Style in Greek Sculpture (Princeton,
1970), pp. 311; E. B. Harrison, "Early Classical Sculpture: The Bold Style," i n
Greek Art, Archaic into Classical: A Symposium held at the University of Cincinnati, 2-3 April 1982, ed. C. G. Boulter, pp. 4 0 6 5 (Leiden, 1985).
9
Athens, National Archaeological M u s e u m 29: J. Boardman, Greek Sculpture:
The Archaic Period (New York, 1978), p. 164, fig. 235.
10 E.g., the reconstructed striding warrior f r o m the East Pediment. M u n i c h ,
Glyptothek F 72 et a l : D . Ohly, Die Aegineten, vol. 1, Die Ostgiebelgruppe
( M u n i c h , 1976), pp. 3 2 4 0 , pis. 1214. A fragment o f a stele w i t h the legs o f
a warrior i n a chariot box survives o n the island o f Aigina, and the lower legs
o f two warriors are preserved o n a relief i n Copenhagen, b u t u n t i l the appear
ance o f the Getty stele, no complete relief representation o f the subject was
k n o w n . Aigina, M u s e u m 752: E. WalterKarydi, Alt-Agina, 2.2 (Mainz, 1987),
p. 82, no. 57, p l . 43; Copenhagen, N y Carlsberg Glyptotek 2787: F. Johansen,
Greece in the Archaic Period (Copenhagen, 1994), p. 50, no. 10.
11 I n the Pergamon M u s e u m i n Berlin, i n the M e t r o p o l i t a n M u s e u m o f A r t i n
Drawing o f the inscription on the grave stele ofPollis.
New York, and at the University o f Vienna. A l l are fragments and include
only small parts o f the figures w i t h o u t inscriptions. Berlin, Staatliche Museen
Sk 735 (K 18): C. Blumel, Die klassisch griechischen Skulpturen der Staatlichen
The Megarian script of the inscription suggests that the
stele was either made i n the region of Megara or carved elsewhere
but dedicated to a Megarian citizen i n the early fifth century B.C.
Museen zu Berlin (Berlin, 1966), p. 11, no. 1, fig. 1; N e w York, the M e t r o p o l i t a n
M u s e u m o f A r t 12.59, only a part o f the relief w i t h the head o f a male figure:
G. M . A . Richter, Catalogue of Greek Sculptures in the Metropolitan Museum of
Art (Cambridge, Mass., 1954), p. 18, no. 22; Vienna, Archaeological Collection
One problem i n determining where this stele was sculpted is
o f the University o f Vienna, no. 1173: H . Kenner, "Die M a r m o r b i l d w e r k e i n
that only a few assuredly Megarian sculptures have survived.
der Archaologischen Sammlung der Universitat W i e n , " Jahreshefte des Oster-
Only three other Megarian reliefs of the Severe Style are currently
known, none o f them as large or as well preserved as this stele.
11
reichischen archaologischen Instituts in Wien 46 (1961/1963): 6 8 , no. 1, fig. 1.
12 I n the Classical period, there is only a small number o f funerary monuments
f r o m Megara, b u t warriors seem to be a favorite motif. C l a i r m o n t 1993, 6: 317,
Little, therefore, can be said o f a distinctive Megarian style, and it
lists four stelai as certainly coming from Megara and two as possibly from
is not certain whether the three known Megarian fragments were
Megara. One o f these, however, is a relief i n the Getty M u s e u m (cat. no. 11),
funerary or votive reliefs.
12
The stele ofPollis is similar i n size, subject, character, and
style to the fragment of an Attic relief i n Copenhagen that is dated
about 500 B . C The Copenhagen relief likewise features a nude
warrior placed prominently i n the foreground i n a slightly three
quarter twisting position and holding a large round shield.
13
The
manner i n which the bodies are rendered on the two reliefs with
the combination o f threedimensionality and planar forms is so
similar, i n fact, that one can imagine the two created by the same
individual or workshop. The idea may not be so farfetched, con
sidering the geographical proximity of Megara and Athens.
100
M E G A R I A N
FUNERARY
which is probably Attic.
13 Copenhagen, N y Carlsberg Glyptotek 2787 (supra, note 10). The relief actually
SCULPTURE
shows two warriors, one behind the other, b u t o n the surviving fragment the
visual impression is o f one nude warrior w h o squats behind his shield i n the
foreground.
Boeotian Funerary Sculpture
THE
37.
CLASSICAL
Grave Stele ofAthanias
PERIOD
alry well beyond Boeotia. His sandals are of the type (trochades)
3
worn by warriors on other examples of Boeotian black limestone
About 400 B.C.
stelai. The hilt of a sword, which is suspended from a baldric, is
4
Black limestone; Height: 170.2 cm (67 in.); W i d t h : top 75 cm
(29V2 i n . ) , b o t t o m 80 cm (31V2 in.); Depth: 19 cm (7V2 in.)
visible at his left side. I n his right hand, he holds a spear with the
tip pointed downward, while his left hand rests on top of a large
round shield standing on its edge.
The scene on the interior of the shield can be seen i n
93.AA.47
accurately foreshortened perspective. Astride the winged Pegasos
CONSERVATION
The stele has been reconstructed from three pieces. The lower
right corner is missing. There are chips on the lower left corner
the hero Bellerophon is poised to pierce with a long spear a Chi
maira beneath. Bellerophons slaying of the Chimaira was a popu
and along the edges o f the block. The back is roughly finished
lar subject for interior scenes on shields held by the warriors
w i t h the point chisel; the sides are smooth. The top, though
depicted on the black limestone Boeotian stelai. The m o t i f has
5
more finished than the back, also bears marks o f the point
also been discovered recently i n small paintings that originally
chisel. The brownish patina that remains on the back and
filled the pedimental area on some of these stelai.
sides used to cover the entire surface o f the stele.
6
The stele ofAthanias belongs to a small group of similarly
executed black limestone grave stelai from Boeotia that all depict
PROVENANCE
warriors. Six complete specimens and two fragments of this type
Unknown.
are known; they date between the late fifth and the early fourth
BIBLIOGRAPHY
centuries B.C. A l l use the same technique, with outlines and
"Acquisitions/1993," GettyMusJ 22 (1994): 5, 60, no. 2; Bodel
details of the figures incised i n the stone i n either continuous or
7
and Tracy 1997, p. 8; M . Daumas, "Steles beotiennes d'inities
des dieux Cabires," Les Pierres de VOffrande, ed. G. Hoffmann
(Zurich, 2001), p. 125.
finely dotted lines. The stelai i n the Thebes Museum show charg
ing warriors wearing conical helmets and carrying spears or
swords i n their right hands and shields i n their left; the names of
the deceased are inscribed at the top. The stele of Athanias, most
T H E STELE is A block of stone that tapers slightly from bottom
likely a later product o f the same local workshop as the other
to top, ending at the top i n a triangular pediment with small cen
incised Boeotian stelai, stands apart from most of the previously
tral and side akroteria. The righthand akroterion is broken off.
known stelai of this class i n both scale and subject. I t is approxi
The whole representation is incised i n outline on the smoothed
mately fifty percent larger than any of the other preserved com
surface of the stone. Originally, the scene on the face of the stone
plete stelai. I n contrast to the animated figures of the warriors on
was brightly painted; the incised lines that remain now form a
the other black limestone stelai i n Greece, Athanias stands serene
8
linear design, but originally they served as outlines to guide the
and relaxed i n the moment prior to or just after battle. The wreaths
painter. A n inscription at the top of the stele names the deceased
worn around the helmets of many of these warriors should be
considered an artistic convention, perhaps with heroic overtones,
pictured below.
or a reference to their victory i n athletic contests or battle.
A0ANIAX
A Greek scholar has theorized that some of these grave
stones portray warriors who fell i n the Battle of Delion (424 B . C )
"Athanias"
between the Athenians and the Boeotians. This theory gains sup
9
The style of the letter forms may represent a mixture of Sikyonian
port from the use of Bellerophon and the Chimaira i n the
•and Boeotian scripts. The name Athanias is attested i n two
iconography of the gravestones: this myth appears to have been
1
inscriptions of the Hellenistic period on Euboea and i n one
decidedly unpopular at Athens by the end of the fifth century B.C.
inscription of the Roman period from Athens.
The choice of the hero Bellerophon by the Boeotians to decorate
2
The cleanshaven Athanias is depicted standing with
the interior scenes on the shields is interesting i n light of what
body frontal and head i n right profile. The slightly undulating
seems to be a complete suppression of this hero i n Athenian
line on which he stands probably represents a landscape setting.
iconography. Depiction of the myth was very popular i n Athen
The warrior wears a conical helmet decorated with a laurel wreath,
ian art during the Archaic period, but it disappeared from the
a short belted tunic fastened only on his left shoulder, and shoes.
repertoire i n the fifth century B.C. and did not reappear. Alter
The helmet, o f a type called pilos, originated i n Boeotia i n the
natively, the wreaths may suggest that during their childhood the
early fifth century B.C. and was later adopted by infantry and cav
men had served as priests at the sanctuary of Apollo Ismenios i n
10
THE
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
101
Thebes. I n any event, the iconography o f the black limestone
11
stelai does seem to represent an ideology of Victory.
12
While "at ease" i n the military sense, this depiction is
clearly dynamic. The balance, the arm's spread, the alert head
inclination, and the lively treatment of the clothing all contribute
to the effect of manly vigor, certainly a central Greek virtue.
1
Sara Aleshire, unpublished report i n the object file o f the Antiquities Depart
ment o f the Getty Museum. According to D r . Aleshire, the presence o f the
rhomboidal theta may show a mixture o f Sikyonian and Boeotian scripts.
W h i l e such a mixture o f two scripts is k n o w n i n Greek epigraphy, i t is rela
tively rare.
2
P. M . Fraser and E. Matthews, A Lexicon of Greek Personal Names, vol. l , The
Aegean Islands, Cyprus, Cyrenaica (Oxford, 1987), p. 15, s.v. Athanias; Osborne
and Byrne 1994, p. 9, s.v. Athanias.
3
H . Pflug, Antike Helme (Cologne, 1989), pp. 2223, rig. 17; A . M . Snodgrass,
Arms and Armour of the Greeks (Ithaca, N.Y., 1967), pp. 9495,125, p i . 58.
4
5
See M o r r o w 1985, pp. 6364.
See B. Ridgway, Fourth-Century
Styles in Greek Sculpture (Madison, 1997),
p. 170 n. 49, citing an unpublished 1993 M . A . thesis for Bryn M a w r College
by Thomas M i l b a n k .
6
Discovered by examining and photographing the gravestones under special
lighting, including ultraviolet, by an Austrian archaeologist, Richard Posamtier.
Results o f his research were presented i n a paper, "Painted Attic Gravestones
o f the Classical Period and Their Position w i t h i n Classical Funerary A r t , "
given at a c o l l o q u i u m i n honor o f C. W. Clairmont: Les Pierres de VOjfrande,
.9.11 December 1998, Universite BlaisePascal, ClermontFerrand. The p r o
ceedings o f the c o l l o q u i u m are published as Les Pierres de VOjfrande, ed. G.
Hoffmann (Zurich, 2001).
7
A l l examples except for one fragment i n the Musee d u Louvre and one stele
i n Athens, National Archaeological Museum, are i n the Thebes Museum. See
K. Demakopoulou and D . Konsola, Archaeological Museum of Thebes: Guide
(Athens, 1981), pp. 7475.
8
O n l y one other piece, Musee d u Louvre M a 3566, breaks the conventional
iconography o f this group i n similar ways: Hamiaux 1992, p. 240, no. 253. Pre
served o n the Louvre fragment is the threequarter frontal head o f a bearded
figure wearing a wreathed helmet. The proportions o f this figure are closer i n
scale to the figure o f Athanias than to the warriors o n the stelai i n the Thebes
Museum, indicating that the Louvre fragment once was part o f a stele o f simi
lar size and scale as the Getty example.
9
A . Keramopoullos, "Eikones polemiston tes en Delio maches," Archaiologike
Ephemeris,
1920:136.
10 For a discussion o f the m y t h and these issues, see H . Hoffmann, "Bellerophon
and the Chimaira i n M a l i b u , " Studia Variafrom
the J. Paul Getty
Museum,
vol. 1 (Malibu, 1993), pp. 6 6 6 8 . Hoffmann is mistaken, though, o n his asser
t i o n (p. 67) that imagery o f the m y t h disappears f r o m all o f mainland Greece,
as evidenced by its popularity o n the Boeotian gravestones.
Drawing o f the grave stele o f Athanias. Drawing by Beverly LazorBahr.
11 Pausanias 9.10.4 reports that these boypriests wore laurel wreaths.
12 Argued i n a paper b y M . Daumas, "Steles beotiennes d'inities des dieux
Cabires," Les Pierres de VOffrande (supra, note 6), pp. 12535.
102
B O E O T I A N
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
Cat. no. 37. Grave stele o f Athanias. Malibu 93.AA.47.
THE
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
103
Northern Greek Funerary Sculpture
THE
CLASSICAL
38. Side Panel of a Grave Naiskos with
the Relief of a Young Hunter
PERIOD
objects clearer. A short tunic, petasos, and paired spears are the
4
usual attributes o f male figures on Thessalian grave reliefs.
5
This figure o f a hunter would have looked toward an
image of the deceased on the back wall of the naiskos. The imagery
About 325 B . C .
of the hunt became a subject for funerary art i n the fifth century
Mediumgrained gray and white marble; Height: 143.1 cm
B.C. and continued on into the fourth century. The imagery cap
(56 /s in.); W i d t h : 42.7 cm (16% in.); Depth: 10.2 cm (4 in.)
tures an activity i n a young mans life that reflected his status i n
96.AA.48
hunting gear established his rank. The style, subject, and type o f
3
6
society. Showing an individual with horse, hound, servant, and
marble o f the panel point to a Macedonian or Thessalian origin,
CONSERVATION
The panel is complete except for the lower corners, which are
although funerary monuments depicting hunters from these
broken away. There are chips along the edges, especially on
areas are usually the main subject on a stele, not a companion
the top right. O n the front at the b o t t o m is a roughly carved
figure on a side panel as here. Naiskoi w i t h side panels were a fea
reworked area. The left edge of the block is roughly worked
ture of Attic funerary monuments, and this monument, though
w i t h a point chisel and would have abutted the back panel o f
the naiskos. The right side of the block is finished as an anta,
w i t h cuttings for the attachment of a roof piece o n the top o f
the slab.
definitely from Northern Greece, shows the influence o f Attic
form and style. This panel must have come from an especially
7
luxurious type of funerary monument for a wealthy Macedonian
or Thessalian.
PROVENANCE
It is worth noting that even i n secondary elements i n
Formerly in the collection of Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman,
New York City.
a statuary group the level of artistic quality is often very high i n
ancient Greek work. While this piece is adjunctive, the subtlety of
BIBLIOGRAPHY
composition within the framed space, the proportions, the treat
The J. Paul Getty Museum Handbook of the Collections (Los
ment of details, the touch of projecting toes, and the unity of
Angeles, 1997), p. 18.
overall effect all speak to a high level of artistic sophistication.
True and Hamma 1994, pp. 10911, no. 48.
T A L L , R E C T A N G U L A R P A N E L with a shallow figural recess. The
architectural molding preserved at the top right edge of the panel
1
1
shallow relief is the figure o f a young man who stands i n a three
quarter left frontal pose, his head i n left profile. He has a robust
physique and wears a short tunic tied at the waist with a flat belt,
naiskoi, see VierneiselSchlorb 1988, pp. 5354 n . 1.
2
3
larger than the mass o n the panel. One o f the hunters o n the painted facade
of the t o m b at Vergina believed to be that o f Philip 11 is using one o f these
his shoulder. Indistinct objects are slung from the weapons. The
The outline o f the shape at the top seems most appropriate for
J. K. Anderson, Hunting in the Ancient World (Berkeley, 1985), p. 38. The size
described here—about 114 c m (45 in.) i n l e n g t h — w o u l d be only slightly
and is barefoot. I n his left hand, he holds two spears that rest on
the lower part has a limp, indistinct shape reaching to midthigh.
See C. SaatsoglouPaliadeli, "Aspects of Ancient Macedonian Costume," JHS
113 (1993): 12931.
whose fringed ends hang down i n front. He has short, curly hair
hanging shape is rounded at the top like the crown of a hat, while
Cf. a lateral wall o f a Classical Attic naiskos i n Athens, National Archaeologi
cal M u s e u m 3694: C l a i r m o n t 1993,1: 8, no. 5. O n carved side panels from
confirms that it formed the right side wall of a naiskos. Carved i n
purse nets.
4
For painted details o n marble sculpture, see G. M . A . Richter, The Sculpture
5
H . Biesantz, Die thessalischen Grabreliefs (Mainz, 1965), pp. 7879, 83. Cf. esp.
and Sculptors of the Greeks, 4th edn. (New Haven, 1970), pp. 14858.
a relief f r o m G o m p h o i , ibid., pp. 2 0 2 1 , no. K 33, pis. 1415. There a bearded
that of a travelers hat (petasos). The shape at the bottom seems
m a n wearing a short tunic and short cloak holds the paired spears i n his left
more baglike. Various types o f nets were used to catch prey i n
hand w i t h the tips p o i n t i n g downward. A t his back, the inside o f his petasos
2
antiquity, including the smallest type, a purse net, used to catch
hares. The boy is probably carrying two items from his spears: a
3
purse net with a petasos on top. Since the relief was originally
painted, colored details would have made the identification of the
104
N O R T H E R N
GREEK
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
is visible.
6
7
Anderson (supra, note 3), pp. 7071.
Suggested by A. H e r r m a n n , i n True and H a m m a 1994, pp. 11011. For a dis
cussion o f headgear, hairstyles, and attributes o n Thessalian and Macedonian
grave reliefs, see Biesantz (supra, note 5), pp. 7883.
Cat. no. 38. Frontal view o f a side panel o f a grave naiskos with a young hunter. Malibu 96.AA.48.
THE
C L A S S I C A L
PERIOD
105
Cat. no. 38. From left to right: Finished right edge with crown molding, back, and roughly worked
left edge o f the naiskos panel with a young hunter Malibu 96.AA.48.
106
N O R T H E R N
GREEK
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
East Greek Funerary Sculpture
THE
CLASSICAL
39. Grave Stele with a Seated Woman
with Her Children and
an Attendant
PERIOD
The standing woman wears a dress with a very long over
fold and a cloak that covers the back her head and falls straight
down over the back of her body. Between the two women stands a
girl who wears an anklelength tunic with long sleeves. She holds
a domeshaped object i n her left hand. The bottom of the object
has a smooth outline, while the top is irregular. Given the fact
About 380 B.C.
that the woman is spinning, the object is probably a ball of wool.
M e d i u m to largegrained light gray marble; Height: 156.5 cm
(6i /s in.); W i d t h : 52 cm (20V2 in.); Depth: 23.5 cm (9V4 in.)
5
The girl touches the knee of the seated woman, most likely her
mother, with her right hand.
The iconography of a seated woman i n a domestic scene
84.AA.14
with an attendant and children is typically Athenian, but the
stone and the style of its carving confirm the eastern origin of
CONSERVATION
Mostly complete, although the left side and lower corner are
broken away. The very top o f the stele is missing. There are
several gouges across the front o f the stone. The marble is
the stele. I t is a provincial reflection of Attic funerary stelai.
4
5
This stele bears a general resemblance to monuments from sites
weathered, and there are spalls and cracks, especially on the
in Bithynia such as Kyzikos, or MyrleiaApamea, or farther east
front at the bottom. Some o f the original b o t t o m o f the stele
i n Pontus at Sinope. It commemorates a wife and mother, skilled
remains on the right, which is roughly finished w i t h the point
in woolworking, who perhaps died i n childbirth.
6
chisel. There are marks o f the point chisel on the back, sides,
and top o f the stele.
PROVENANCE
1
Unknown.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Acquisitions," GettyMusJ 13 (1985): 165, no. 1.
2
T A L L , N A R R O W STELE w i t h a simple triangular pediment. The
slightly recessed central area of the pediment originally may have
held a painted design. The figures are carved i n shallow relief i n
1
a slightly recessed panel placed offcenter on the slab. O n the left
3
4
5
sits a woman on a stool with her feet resting on a footstool. She
2
wears a dress with a cloak pulled up over the back of her head.
I n her left hand she holds a large spindle, a symbol of domestic
industry, while her right hand touches the head of a swaddled
infant who is held i n front of her by a standing woman at the right
of the scene. The facial features of the infant are fully though
3
crudely carved.
6
The recessed area measures approximately 34 X 34 cm (13% X 13% in.). A relief
in Munich still retains remnants of its painted anthemion: Munich, Glyp
tothek 483: VierneiselSchlorb 1988, pp. 8598. For painting on sculpture,
see G. M . A. Richter, The Sculpture and Sculptors of the Greeks, 4th edn. (New
Haven, 1970), pp. 14858.
The stool is a simple type with a cover draped over the sides. It is a type 5
diphros: Richter 1966, pp. 4243. The footstool is a type 2: Richter 1966,
pp. 5051.
On the production of textiles, see Reeder 1995, pp. 200 202.
Cf. the Athenian funerary monument of Phile in Athens, Roman Agora 748:
Clairmont 1993, 2: 660, no. 2.725.
On the pervasive impact of Attic gravestones on funerary monuments from
other regions, see B. Ridgway, Fourth-Century Styles in Greek Sculpture (Madi
son, 1997), pp. 17677.
An example from Sinope in the Kastamonu Museum is from the fifth century
B . C , but the disposition of the figures is similar, with a seated woman facing
a standing figure. The Sinope stele is also large, although of sandstone rather
than marble. Pfuhl and Mobius 1977, p. 17, no. 24. For an example from
Kyzikos, see Istanbul, Archaeological Museum 3858: Pfuhl and Mobius 1977,
p. 226, no. 871; for MyrleiaApamea, Bursa Museum 1624: Pfuhl and Mobius
1979> P 452, no. 1879.
THE
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
107
Cat. no. 39. Grave stele with a seated woman. Malibu 84.AA.14.
108
EAST
GREEK
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
East Greek Funerary Sculpture
THE
HELLENISTIC
40. Grave Stele ofPoseides with
His Wife and Dog
PERIOD
TOTTO TO M N H M A nOXEIAOY HPAKAEIAOY A I K A I O
Y AN0PQITOY. O Y A E N A A E H A I K H X E n o n O T E . E I A E
T I E 0EAEI 0EQPHXAI K A I ATA0ON E I I I E I N , T O Y T Q I
O I 0E
About 275 B.C.
4
O I IAEQX E I H X A N . A A I K H X A I AE MH0EN. E I TIE
AE AA
Finegrained gray bluishwhite marble w i t h dark gray veining;
polychromy; Height: 172.8 c m (68 in.); W i d t h : 53.3 c m (21 i n . ) ;
I K H X H I TOYTO TO M N H M A H TA OYTA T A Y T A H TA Z
Depth: 23.5 c m (9V4 in.)
QIA H ETEPON N E K P O N EIXENETKOI EIX TOYTO TO
MNH
79.AA.145
M A n A H N EMOY K A I THE EMHX TYNAIKOX
K A I TON
CONSERVATION
The stele is complete w i t h most o f its tenon intact. The tenon
8
would have been inserted into a base i n the cemetery. A recut
area at the b o t t o m right includes part o f the tenon that
A T O Y T O H Q N H X E T A I H A Y T O Y X H ETEPOIX I I
probably represents a later reuse. There is a large loss at the
[P] O X T A S H I H E T E P O N N E K P O N E I X E N E T K O I I I
b o t t o m right o n the front. The surface o f the stone is mostly
intact, w i t h a light incrustation through which original paint
E M Q N Y I Q N K A I 0 Y T A T E P O N E A Y T O Y X , E I TT
X AE H E n ENEXYPOIX A H ^ E T A I TO M N H M
12
A H N OYX A Y T O Y X n P O E I A E T O T O Y T Q I T Q I M N
can be seen, especially o n the two figures, the dog, and i n the
H M A T I , E I TIX H YBPIN H A N A T K H N nOIHX
acanthus anthemion. Blue pigment has been found o n the
EI TOYTQI, H APTEMIX H MHAEIA K A
palmette o f the anthemion. The back and b o t t o m retain marks
of having been worked w i t h a point chisel. There are marks o f
a tooth chisel o n the front o f the plinth o n which the figures
I H E O E X I A K A I O I 0EOI A H A N T E X
16
A Y T O N K A I TOYX E I T O N O Y X .
stand and o n the sides. The rasp has been used o n both figures
"This is the memorial ofPoseides, son o f Herakleides,
and o n the background.
righteous man. A n d he wronged no one ever. A n d i f
anyone has the power to see and speak good, to h i m
PROVENANCE
Unknown.
4
may the gods be gracious; and may he do nothing wrong.
A n d i f someone desecrates this memorial or these plants
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A. N . Oikonomides, "Artemis Medeia," ZPE 45 (1982): 11518;
or figures or i f (someone) should carry into this memorial
J. and L. Robert, "Bulletin epigraphique," Revue des Etudes
any other body, except mine and that o f m y wife and o f
grecques 95 (1982): 36364, no. 280; SEG 32.1612; S. M . Sherwin
8
White, " 'Median' Artemis i n an Early Hellenistic Funerary
m y sons and daughters, themselves, and i f someone should
carry off this memorial for the purpose o f sureties or
Inscription," ZPE 49 (1982): 30; Butz 1987, pp. 3 4 4 9 , cat. no. 1;
should himself buy or assign to others or carry
R. Porter, "Artemis Medeai again,"ZPE 93 (1992): 21921;
another body into (the tomb) unless he himself (Poseides)
M . T . Le Dinahet and N . Mouret, "Les Steles funeraires
grecques: Etudes stylistiques et iconographiques, annees 1980
12
1992," Topoi 3 (1993): 123, no. 38; Bodel and Tracy 1997, p. 9.
specify the above i n respect to the memorial; and
i f anyone either perpetrates despiteful treatment or
(exerts) physical force o n this (monument), (then)
T A L L , N A R R O W S T E L E w i t h a rounded floral anthemion carved
i n relief. The floral decoration consists o f a sevenfrond palmette
Artemis Medea and Ephesia and all the gods (transitive
16
verb implied) h i m and his descendants."
above two halfpalmettes that spring from acanthus leaves. The
1
anthemion is separated from the shaft o f the stele by a molding
The name Herakleides is common at many Greek sites, including
made i n two parts separated by an shallow groove: a taenia over a
Athens and the demes o f Attika, the Peloponnese, and the Aegean
flat ovolo. Remains o f a painted floral pattern are discernible on
islands. Poseides is attested at Argos, on Sicily, Lesbos, and Nesos.
the taenia and o f an egganddart pattern o n the ovolo. O n the
The figures are carved i n moderately high relief. A young
2
shaft, a long inscription covers the entire surface o f the upper
man, Poseides, clean shaven w i t h short hair, stands slightly left o f
half, including part o f the background o f the figural area. The
center, w i t h his weight supported on his right leg. His left leg
inscription gives us the name o f the deceased and presents a curse
is positioned i n such a way as to suggest movement to the left.
against any wouldbe despoiler or desecrator:
He wears a short tunic and a mediumlength cloak, the socalled
THE
HELLENISTIC
PERIOD
109
epaphtis, secured on the right shoulder and drawn over his left
arm. His face is round w i t h large eyes. The index finger of his right
3
1
hand points toward a long and lean hound w i t h a sharp muzzle
and pointed ears, a hunting dog walking beside h i m . The dog s
4
tail curls up behind his left calf. Originally brightly painted, the
dog would have been more visible i n antiquity than he is today.
2
5
At the right stands a small female figure facing left. She
wears a long dress w i t h a cloak. Her hair is pulled up into a bun on
top o f her head. She holds a round object, probably a pomegran
3
4
5
Pfuhl and Mobius 1977, p. 63.
WoyschMeautis 1982, pp. 5560.
On painting on marble, see P. Reutersward, Studien zur Polychromie der
Plastik: Griechenland und Rom (Stockholm, i960), pp. 5358; K. Yfantidis,
"Die Polychromie der hellenistischen Plastik" (Ph.D. diss., Johannes Guten
berg Universitat, Mainz, 1984), pp. 1422, 24951.
6
For pomegranates on funerary monuments, see F. Muthmann, Der Granatapfel: Symbol des Lebens in der alten Welt (Bern, 1982), pp. 7792.
Morrow 1985, pp. 12123.
See a stele from Pergamon in London, British Museum 2246: Pfuhl and
Mobius 1977, p. 78, no. 105; and one from Mesembria in the Nessebar
Museum: Pfuhl and Mobius 1979, p. 506, no. 2104. Neither of these monu
ments is as large or as well sculpted as the stele of Poseides, but both feature
men in motion wearing tunics and kneelength cloaks.
ate, i n her right hand. Her left arm is held across her waist, the
6
thumb and first two fingers extended. The feet on both figures are
rounded w i t h no toes carved, indicating that they probably wear
soft shoes or boots that would have had painted details.
7
While there are no exact parallels for this monument,
7
8
it is comparable i n some respects to other thirdcenturyB.C. ste
lai i n displaying moving figures. The figures on the majority
8
of Hellenistic funerary monuments are static, and their poses
give no sense of motion. As a monument of the early Hellenis
tic period, this stele shows Athenian influence i n its form, style,
and iconography.
9
Poseides is depicted i n hunting costume, accompanied by
his dog and his wife. She is shown i n a smaller scale i n order to
On stelai of the Classical and Hellenistic periods with floral anthemia, see
H. Mobius, Die Ornamente der griechischen Grabstelen klassischer und nachklassischer Zeit (Munich, 1968). Monuments with floral anthemia are less
common in the Hellenistic period than in the Classical period.
See Fraser and Matthews, 1: 203, s.v. Herakleides, and p. 382, s.v. Poseides;
Osborne and Byrne 1994, pp. 2045, s.v. Herakleides; Fraser and Matthews,
3A: 195, s.v. Herakleides, and p. 372, s.v. Poseides.
9
Cf., e.g., the style of the anthemion to that on the Athenian monument of
Nikomache in Piraeus, Museum 217: Clairmont 1993, 2:377, no. 2.362. The
overall style of the monument is more reminiscent of those tall, thin Athenian
stelai with anthemia with the figures painted rather than carved in relief, such
as the monument of Tokkes in Athens, National Archaeological Museum
1002: Clairmont 1993,1:354, no. 1.388.
emphasize the importance of her husband as the deceased. Both
husband and wife appear youthful, and we may therefore postu
late that Poseides died at a relatively young age.
Detail of the painted dog on the grave stele of Poseides.
110
EAST
GREEK
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
Drawing o f the inscription on the grave stele o f Poseides.
Cat. no. 40. Grave stele o f Poseides. Malibu 79.AA.145.
THE
H E L L E N I S T I C
PERIOD
111
41. Grave Stele of Phanokrates
The name Phanokrates is attested i n inscriptions from Athens
and some of the denies of Attika, and on several Aegean islands.
with an Attendant
3
Beneath the projecting ledge and carved i n high relief
stands the youth Phanokrates frontally with his head turned to
About 200 B.C.
the right. He is clean shaven with short, curly hair. He wears a
Mediumgrained white marble; Height: 125.4 cm (49% in.);
shortsleeved tunic with a mediumlength cloak {epaphtis) fas
W i d t h : 53.3 cm (21 in.); Depth: 21.6 cm (8V2 in.)
tened on the right shoulder with a large fibula w i t h an ivyleaf
finial. The epaphtis is draped i n a manner seen on other monu
96.AA.50
ments from the eastern part o f the Greek world.
4
Phanokrates'
left hand rests on a roll of drapery about his waist. Stuck into the
CONSERVATION
The lower t h i r d and upper right corner o f the stele are missing.
drapery roll on the left is a sword with a hilt shaped like an eagle's
There is a cutting for a clamp on the top at the left. This was
head. His right hand reaches out to rest on a squareshaped
for securing either a separately made finial or an architectural
object, probably a herm. A boy stands i n front of the herm.
frame. The back is roughpicked; the sides exhibit anathyrosis,
further evidence that this is the back slab from a monument
that had an architectural frame. The stele tapers slightly from
b o t t o m to top.
5
The style of the stele, especially the characteristic wreaths
on the background, is similar to a group of secondcenturyB.C.
monuments from Smyrna, many for young men, featuring horse
men and their mounts. This stele is most closely related to a type
PROVENANCE
showing the rider dismounted and standing beside his horse.
Formerly i n the collection o f Barbara and Lawrence
Boys accompany the deceased and carry armor or hold the bridle
Fleischman, New York City.
of the horse. Phanokrates is most similar to figures i n slightly
6
earlier, more elaborate compositions. He is posed like the main
BIBLIOGRAPHY
True and H a m m a 1994, pp. 24243, no. 122; Bodel and Tracy
figure on those monuments. One example of this k i n d of figure is
1997, P8.
a fragment o f a large stele i n Basel.
7
Stelai from Smyrna that commemorate young men often
with a flat top. The upper part of
include a herm of Herakles or Hermes, standard symbols o f the
the stele is carved as a ledge upon which rests a rectangular
gymnasium and palaistra. His hand resting on the herm suggests
NARROW,
TAPERING
STELE
shape—possibly wax writing tablets—and a roundtopped chest
a connection with the palaistra and physical training, which
of the type used for storing book rolls. Next to these symbols of
emphasizes Phanokrates' youth.
literacy is a framed tablet upon which is carved a wreath. A sec
communicated by the inclusion of the books and book rolls.
1
2
8
His intellectual training is
9
ond wreath is on the background below, to the left o f the youth's
Phanokrates is presented here as both the active and the intellec
head. The tablet is supported by a plinth with the inscription:
tual, thinking citizen.
While relatively small—less than a meter (three feet)
high—the figure of Phanokrates captures much of the grandeur
O A N O K P A T H [X]
OANOKPATOY
associated with monumental Greek work. What strikes us is the
"Phanokrates, (son) o f Phanokrates"
powerful modeling, the freshness, and the sense o f presence.
Indeed, these characteristics define the genre.
112
EAST
GREEK
F U N E R A R Y
S C U L P T U R E
Cat. no. 41. Grave stele o f Phanokrates. Malibu 96.AA.50.
THE
H E L L E N I S T I C
PERIOD
113
Drawing o f the inscription on the grave stele o f Phanokrates.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
114
N . Firatli, Les Steles funeraires de Byzance greco-romaine (Paris, 1964), pp. 33
34, pi. LXXI.2.3.
A monument in Leiden is a complete example with a similar arrangement.
Rijksmuseum 1. 93.2.1: Pfuhl and Mobius 1977, p. 171, no. 569, pi. 89.
See Fraser and Matthews, 1: 454, s.v. Phanokrates; Osborne and Byrne 1994,
p. 441, s.v. Phanokrates.
Pfuhl and Mobius 1977, p. 63.
A typical weapon seen on late Hellenistic reliefs: Firatli (supra, note 1),
pi. LXXIII.2.
See Pfuhl and Mobius 1979, pp. 314,339 42, nos. 1430 40, pis. 208 10;
E. Berger, Antike Kunstwerke aus der Sammlung Ludwig, vol. 3, Skulpturen
(Mainz, 1990), pp. 25763.
Sammlung Ludwig no. 244: Berger (supra, note 6), pp. 25182.
Cf. a stele in Leiden, Rijksmuseum Pb. 77: Pfuhl and Mobius 1977, no. 132.
Zanker 1993, pp. 21820.
EAST
GREEK
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
42.
Grave Stele of Menekrates with His
Son, Bias, and an Attendant^)
hands with a youthful figure—his son Bias—who stands beside
the couch near the foot. Bias wears a shortsleeved tunic and a
4
cloak. His left hand holds folds of his cloak at hip level.
Prominently placed i n front o f the couch is a three
About 150 B . C .
legged table with an assortment o f foods. A t the head o f the
5
Largegrained, bluegray marble w i t h dark gray veining;
couch and overlapping the right anta is the head and upper torso
Height: 55 c m (2i /s in.); W i d t h : 30.5 c m (12 in.); Depth: 6 c m
of a third figure. This person is possibly holding its right arm
5
(2 /
3
8
in.)
up to its forehead i n a gesture of mourning, which would identify
it as female. She could be either the wife of or a female attendant
71.AA.376
to Menekrates.
Reliefs o f meals such as this one were very popular as
CONSERVATION
The stele is nearly complete, broken off only at the bottom.
funerary monuments i n the eastern part of the Greek world, rep
There are some scratches and abrasions o n the surface. The
resenting perhaps a quarter of the total number of surviving grave
back retains its original rough surface made w i t h a point chisel.
There are marks o f the tooth chisel o n the sides.
reliefs from that area. The iconography represents the funerary
banquet held at the tomb of the deceased. On the day of the funeral
PROVENANCE
and later on the birthdate of the deceased, the family would gather
Possibly from Smyrna; formerly i n the collection of W i l l i a m ,
at the tomb to eat, laying out a couch and food for the dead per
second Earl o f Lonsdale, at Lowther Castle i n Cumbria i n the
son, who i n the reliefs is the reclining protagonist, usually male
Lake District o f England.
and young. Depicting the reclining man as shaking hands with a
1
6
second figure either seated or standing is not a very common
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A. Michaelis, "Die Privatsammlungen antiker Bildwerke i n
m o t i f on the banquettype o f funerary monument. Pfuhl and
EnglandArchaologische Zeitung 32 (1875): 43, no. 22; ibid.,
Mobius include eight others i n their catalogue o f East Greek
1882: 496, no. 55; Sotheby's, London, Ancient Art, sale, July 1,
gravestones. This monument may be compared to one i n Istan
1969, lot no. 31; Alex G. Malloy, New York, sale, 1971, lot no. 84;
bul i n its general form and i n the relatively low quality of its carv
Vermeule and Neuerburg 1973, p. 15, no. 28; Frel 1979a, pp. 2 3
ing. Michaelis suggested that the stone was from Smyrna, which
24, no. 91; Pfuhl and Mobius 1979, pp. 37879, no. 1538; Butz
1987, pp. 5257, no. 11; Bodel and Tracy 1997, p. 8.
7
8
Pfuhl and Mobius support.
9
S T E L E W I T H A triangular pediment crowned by one central and
two side akroteria. A recessed figural panel is framed by antas that
1
Lord Lonsdale was one of the few avid collectors of Greek and Roman antiq
uities in England in the midnineteenth century. His enthusiasm for and
interest in his acquisitions led him to build two galleries at Lowther Castle
especially for their display. See Michaelis 1882, p. 176.
2
See Fraser and Matthews, 1:101, s.v. Bias, and pp. 3067, s.v. Menekrates;
Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 87, s.v. Bias, and pp. 3056, s.v. Menekrates;
Fraser and Matthews, 3A: 90, s.v. Bias, and p. 296, s.v. Menekrates.
3
The couch belongs to the category of Greek couches with turned legs, with
the added feature of a sphinx: Richter 1966, pp. 5558.
On the gesture, called dexiosis, see cat. no. 1, note 7.
Richter 1966, pp. 7071, type 4.
On the role of eating in funerary ritual, see W. Burkert, Homo Necans: The
Anthropology of Ancient Greek Sacrificial Ritual and Myth (Berkeley, 1983),
pp. 5051.
Pfuhl and Mobius 1979, p. 379, nos. 153940, and pp. 42425, nos. 175661.
Istanbul, Archaeological Museum 2220: Pfuhl and Mobius 1979, p. 388,
no. 1576, pl. 229.
Pfuhl and Mobius 1979, pp. 37879, no. 1538. If this is so, it is a lowquality
stone by comparison to known banqueting reliefs from Smyrna. See Pfuhl
and Mobius 1979, pp. 369, 442, 44546, 47475, nos. 1488,1840,1857, and
1980.
slant inward. A twoline inscription is placed on the face of the
stele beneath the figural recess.
MENEKPATHX BIANTOX
BIAX MENEKPATOY
"Menekrates, (son) o f Bias
4
5
6
Bias, (son) o f Menekrates"
The names Menekrates and Bias are attested i n inscriptions at
Athens, the demes of Attika, on some of the Aegean islands, on
Sicily, and at sites i n South Italy and i n the Peloponnese.
2
7
8
Menekrates reclines on a couch with an elaborately
turned leg terminating i n the figure of a sphinx. His short, curly
3
hair is wreathed. He wears a shortsleeved tunic and cloak and is
propped up on pillows. I n his left hand he holds a large, round,
9
flat object, probably a phiale. His right arm is extended to shake
THE
HELLENISTIC
PERIOD
115
Cat. no. 42. Crave stele of Menekrates. Malibu 71.AA.376.
Il6
EAST
GREEK
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
43.
Grave Stele ofHerophanta
and Posideos
T A L L , S L I G H T L Y T A P E R I N G STELE w i t h a pedimental top com
plete w i t h akroteria. A round shield decorates the center of the
pediment. A deeply recessed panel contains four figures: a man, a
woman, and two children. Above the figural panel are two laurel
About 150 B.C.
wreaths inscribed i n the centers:
Largegrained, bluegray streaky marble; Height: 151.4 cm
(59 /8
5
in.); W i d t h : 57 cm (22V2 in.); Depth: 11.5 cm (4V2 in.)
71.AA.288
O AEMOX
O AEMOI
The inscription continues on the front of the stele below the
figural panel:
CONSERVATION
The stele is essentially complete, though broken into three
pieces and reconstructed. There are various chips and
nOEIAEON
HPOOANTAN
abrasions all over, including on the figures. Along the edges
AHMOKAEIOYX
TIMQNOS
"The demos
"The demos
(honors)
(honors)
knees o f Herophanta. Rectangular cuttings on the sides have
Posideos
Herophanta
been filled i n recent times. The sides and the front o f the
(son) o f Demokleios"
(daughter) o f T i m o n "
of the reconstructed breaks are losses, most notably across the
middle o f the girl, the boy's ankle, from Posideos's left lower
leg and his right ankle, and from a horizontal area below the
1
stele below the inscription bear marks o f the tooth chisel. The
back and b o t t o m retain their original rough finish made by
a point chisel.
The names Posideos, Herophanta, and Demokleios are seldom
found i n the epigraphic and literary corpus. The name T i m o n is
attested at Athens and i n denies of Attika.
PROVENANCE
From Smyrna; formerly i n the collection o f William, second
Earl o f Lonsdale, at Lowther Castle i n Cumbria i n the Lake
District o f England.
2
Posideos stands frontally at the left w i t h his head turned
slightly toward the center. His demeanor is calm; he holds his
arms i n front of h i m , the left hand holding the right wrist. His
pose is one of two adopted by male figures on Hellenistic grave
BIBLIOGRAPHY
stones from Classical Greek statues of the orators Aischines and
P. Lucas, Voyage au Levant (Amsterdam, 1720), 1:152;
L. Muratorio, Novus thesaurus veterum inscriptionum
(Milan,
Demosthenes. Here, Posideos stands i n a variation of the Demos
1740), 2: 553, no. 2; R. Pococke, Inscriptiones antiquae graecae
thenes pose, w i t h hands lowered i n front of h i m .
et latinae ( [ L o n d o n ] , 1752), p. 23, no. 16; Corpus
shaven w i t h short, curly hair and
Inscriptionum
Graecarum, vol. 2 (Berlin, 1843), p. 747, no. 3245; A. Michaelis,
"Die Privatsammlungen antiker Bildwerke i n England,"
Archäologische Zeitung 32 (1875): 43, no. 19; ibid., 1882: 495,
no. 52; P. A r n d t and W Amelung, Photographische
Einzelaufnahmen
antiker Skulpturen (Munich, 18931947),
no. 3083; Sotheby's, London, Ancient Art, sale, July 1,1969,
lot no. 134; Selected Works from the Ancient Art Collection of
the John Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, California, exh. cat.,
Pennsylvania State Univ., Hetzel U n i o n Gallery (University
Park, 1971), no. 8; Vermeule and Neuerburg 1973, pp. 1516,
no. 29; Pfuhl and Möbius 1977, pp. 159,161, no. 529, p i . 82; Frei
3
He is clean
is fully swathed i n a cloak
marked by press folds. His squarish face w i t h narrow eyes is ren
4
dered w i t h some individuality. His feet, w i t h toes carved, are san
daled. The sandals have central tongues and ties that fall onto the
sides of each foot.
5
To Posideos's right, at his side and emerging from behind
h i m , is a small boy who looks up at h i m . The boy s hair is short
and curly. He wears a short, belted tunic, whose hem he lifts w i t h
6
his right hand. He is barefoot.
At the right of the scene a woman, Herophanta, stands
!979a, p. 23, no. 89; A. Mantes, Provlemata tes eikonographias
frontally, her right arm around a large, centrally placed, vertical
ton hiereion kai ton hiereon sten archaia Hellenike techne
torch, which visually bisects the panel. Herophanta wears two
(Thessaloniki, 1983), pp. 12728, no. sy, p i . 42b; Frei 1984,
PP 3738; Butz 1987, pp. 6072, no. i n ; A. Mantes, Provlemata
tes eikonographias ton hiereion kai ton hiereon sten archaia
dresses, a sleeveless one over a longsleeved one, and a cloak. The
narrow folds of her
dresses are visible under the
transparent
Hellenike techne (Athens, 1990), p. 101, no. sy, pi. 45b; S. Schmidt,
cloak, which is marked by press folds. Her head is covered w i t h a
Hellenistische Grabreliefs (Cologne, 1991), pp. 15,17, 89,138
separate scarf, one end of which falls behind her left shoulder.
n. 617, fig. 21; B. S. Ridgway, "Response," i n Images and
Her full, curly hair is parted i n the middle and pulled back over
Ideologies: Self-Definition in the Hellenistic World, ed. A. Bulloch
her ears. She wears large, round earrings. Her face is oval w i t h
et al. (Berkeley, 1993), p. 236; Zanker 1993, p. 214 n. 5, p. 217
n. 18, p. 218 n. 22, p. 226 n. 66; Bodel and Tracy 1997, p. 9.
7
fine features. A Venus ring marks her neck. She wears platform
8
sandals w i t h soles indented between the first and second toes.
THE
HELLENISTIC
PERIOD
9
HZ
Detail o f the inscribed honorary wreaths on the grave stele o f Herophanta and Posideos.
Detail o f the inscription on the grave stele o f Herophanta and Posideos.
I n the center o f the scene, just to the left of the tall torch,
within the city. For example, here the large torch indicates that
stands a small female figure who holds onto the torch with both
Herophanta was a priestess of Demeter. Most of the gravestones
11
hands. She is i n right profile and looks up toward Herophanta.
for these Smyrnan priestesses featured the woman accompanied
Her long belted dress is slipping off her right shoulder. Her hair is
only by two small servants.
brushed back from her face into a roll that frames her face.
known that show a priestess with her family. This is one of the
12
The Getty stone is one of only two
13
The style of the stele—carved i n one piece with relief
larger and bettercarved stelai representing priestesses of Deme
figures standing i n a naiskos, set on a podium base, and sur
ter. There is, however, great variation i n the quality of the stelai i n
mounted by a pediment and akroteria, and with the upper zone
this small group, so it would be risky to infer that the social status
decorated with honorific wreaths—is typical of monuments made
of the family of Herophanta was any higher than that of the other
i n Smyrna. The city o f Smyrna honored its notable citizens with
priestesses commemorated with funerary reliefs.
10
14
these stelai, which often contained symbols of their former roles
8
See cat. no. 4 with note 9.
9
Morrow 1985, pp. 9 0 9 2 .
1
2
3
4
The one on the left measures 15 X 3 cm; the one on the right, 13 X 3 cm.
For Timon, see Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 433.
Zanker 1993, p. 217.
On press folds, see Ridgway 1990, p. 219; GrangerTaylor 1987, pp. 11423.
5
Morrow 1985, pp. 11920.
12 Pfuhl and M ö b i u s 1977, pp. 137—38, nos. 405—10.
6
7
On the hairstyle as an indicator of age, see Vorster 1983, pp. 19 23.
See supra, note 4.
13 Pfuhl and Möbius 1977, pp. 16162, no. 530.
118
EAST
G R E E K
F U N E R A R Y
S C U L P T U R E
10 These were some of the handsomest stelai from the Greek East: Zanker 1993.
11 Pfuhl and Möbius 1977, p. 136.
14 Zanker 1993, p. 226.
Cat. no. 43. Grave stele o f Herophanta and Posideos. Malibu 71.AA.288.
THE
H E L L E N I S T I C
PERIOD
II9
44- Fragment of a Grave Stele
of a Man and His Wife with
a Boy and Girl
the side. Her platform sandals are indented between her first and
second toes. She wears a dress with a cloak that, although her
4
head is missing, we can see is pulled up over her head. Her right
arm is held at her waist under the cloak. The left arm is held up to
the neckline, where she fingers the fabric o f her dress, emphasiz
ing its fineness. Details such as this and the bracelet the woman
About 125 B.C.
5
wears on her left wrist proclaim the family's wealth and social
Largegrained, bluegray streaky marble; Height: 51 cm
standing.
(20Vis in.); W i d t h : 44.3 cm (17V2 in.); Depth: 9.7 cm (3% in.)
Tucked into the corners of the panel are the small figures
of a boy on the left and a girl on the right. The boy leans against
71.AA.281
the back of the panel with his left leg bent at the knee and crossed
CONSERVATION
over his right ankle. His arms are held i n front o f him, his right
The top o f the stele is broken away. There is a large chip o n
hand holding his left wrist. His head with short, curly hair is cast
the left corner and various chips on the surface, especially
downward. The little girl stands erect and faces the viewer. She
along the edges o f the stone. The left anta is cracked at about
midpoint. The marble is very weathered, and the surface details
wears a long dress with an overfold and holds her arms i n front of
of the carving are blurred. There is some incrustation on the
her, her right hand grasping her left wrist. Her hair is chin length
right anta. The surface o f the marble has a shiny appearance
with a central braid.
consistent w i t h an acid treatment.
6
A ledge is placed between the man and woman at the level
of their heads. Shelves such as this contained a variety of objects
PROVENANCE
symbolizing certain virtues, such as books symbolic of intelli
From Western Asia M i n o r , probably Smyrna; formerly i n the
gence, baskets of orderly virtue, and chests of wealth. The remains
7
collection o f John B. S. M o r r i t t at Rokeby Hall i n Yorkshire.
1
of the items on the shelf here look to be a footed chest and per
BIBLIOGRAPHY
haps books or a kista. Compare a stele i n Venice and one that was
Michaelis 1882, pp. 64445, no. 3; Vermeule 1955, p. 146;
once i n a school i n Izmir.
Sotheby's, London, sale, July 1,1969, lot no. 260; Pfuhl and
8
The poses of both the man and the woman are common
Mobius 1977, pp. 16768, no. 554, p i . 87; Frel 1979a, no. 90;
S. Schmidt, Hellenistische Grabreliefs (Cologne, 1991), p. 82;
Hellenistic types, which were adopted for use on funerary monu
Zanker 1993, p. 214 n. 5, and p. 226 n. 68.
ments by various cities i n the eastern part of the Greek world.
9
The man is presented i n one of the most popular malefigure
S M A L L , T A P E R I N G S T E L E w i t h a recessed figural panel contain
types on reliefs from Smyrna—the "armsling" t y p e — i n which
ing a man, a woman, and two children. At left, a cleanshaven
the right arm is held across the chest inside a tightly draped cloak.
man w i t h short, curly hair stands frontally, his weight on his right
It is a variation of a type of pose used for statues of the orator
leg, with his head turned toward the center. His face is long and
politician Aischines.
thin with large eyes. He wears a tunic with a cloak that enfolds
Pudicitia, the personification o f female chastity and modesty, a
both arms. He holds his right arm to his chest, grasping the folds
common type for women i n the Hellenistic period when not only
of his cloak with the first two fingers outstretched. His left arm
grave statues but also honorific or commemorative statues o f
10
The pose of the woman is that o f the
rests at his side with the hand holding several folds of his cloak.
draped women were made i n large quantities. The Pudicitia is
The fabric of the cloak has three horizontal bands of incised lines,
matronly and often carved so that the fabric of her dress contrasts
denoting either a pattern or press folds, encircling the hips, thighs,
with that of the cloak over it. The pose is the same as that of the
and calves. His feet are sandaled. The sandals have straps passing
statue of Diodora from Delos. These two poses were adopted on
2
11
between the first and second toes and meeting the crossstraps
funerary monuments to express the high standard of conduct by
that tie; the soles are indented between the first and second toes.
the citizens depicted.
3
The woman at the right also stands frontally, her weight
on her left leg. Her right leg is relaxed and pulled back slightly to
120
EAST
GREEK
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
12
By being shown i n readily recognizable
poses of exemplary past citizens, the man and wife on this funer
ary monument emphasize their own civic virtue.
Cat. no. 44. Crave stele o f a man and his wife with a boy and a girl. Malibu 71.AA.281.
THE
H E L L E N I S T I C
PERIOD
121
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Morritt was an English antiquarian who traveled throughout Greece in 1794
1795 for the express purpose of collecting Greek antiquities for Rokeby Hall.
He was an enthusiastic member of the Society of Dilettanti from 1798 on, and
he acted as a witness in the investigation conducted by a Select Committee
of the British House of Commons on the acquisition by the government of
the marbles removed from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin (the Elgin Marbles).
On Morritt s travels in Greece, see R. Stoneman, ed., A Literary Companion
to Travel in Greece (Malibu 1994), pp. 7375,3034. On his role in the acqui
sition of the Elgin Marbles, see Michaelis 1882, p. 147.
On press folds, see Ridgway 1990, p. 219; GrangerTaylor 1987, pp. 11423.
Morrow 1985, pp. 11920.
Morrow 1985, pp. 90 9 2 .
A small bronze figure of a woman making a similar gesture is in the Getty
Museum, acc. no. 96.AB.47: Reeder 1995, p. 134.
This is the hairstyle of children. See Vorster 1983, pp. 2123.
Smith 1991, p. 189.
Venice, Museo Archeologico 67; current whereabouts unknown, once Izmir,
Turkish School: Pfuhl and Mobius 1977, pp. 14647, no. 443, pi. 74, and
p. 144, no. 434, pi. 72.
E.g., Pfuhl and Mobius 1977, pp. 168,170,18283, nos. 555, 557, 564, 567, and
646 are just a few from various cities.
10 Naples, Archaeological Museum 6018: Smith 1991, p. 37,fig.38.
11 For a discussion of the Pudicitia type and its origins, see M . Bieber, The
Sculpture of the Hellenistic Age (New York, 1955), pp. 13233. She notes that
the name, taken from a similar type on Roman coins, should be discarded
since the type is a Greek invention. For the statue of Diodora, see Smith 1991,
p. 86,fig.114.
12 See Zanker 1993, pp. 21620, 22427.
9
122
EAST
GREEK
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
45 Head of a Woman from
a Funerary Monument
About 150 B.C.
Largegrained white marble; Height: 31.8 cm (12V2 in.); W i d t h :
21 cm {8 A in.); Depth: 20.5 cm (8V8 in.)
l
57.AA.10
CONSERVATION
The head is broken through the neck and at the back. A large
chip is missing from the chin and nose. The surface o f the
marble is weathered and covered w i t h specks o f black
particulate matter, especially on the proper left side o f the head.
PROVENANCE
Unknown.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bulletin of the J. Paul Getty Museum ofArt 1.1 (1957): 910;
Getty et al. 1965, pp. 57,68; Stothart 1965, pp. 1415 (as A 57.S7);
Vermeule and Neuerburg 1973, p. 15, no. 27; Frel 1979a, no. 87.
N E A R L Y L I F E S I Z E H E A D of a woman broken from what was a
large grave monument. Part of the attachment point of the head
to the back of the original relief remains at the top of the head. I n
the original funerary monument the woman would have been
placed so that her head was i n a threequarter left profile view.
1
She has an oval face with narrow, broadly spaced eyes with thick
upper lids. Only the right side of her mouth with its full, sensuous
lips remains. Three fleshy Venus rings mark her neck. Her long
2
hair is parted i n the center and drawn back over her ears. Individ
Head of a woman from the funerary monument Malibu 57.AA.10. The installation on
the Museum wall shows the attachment area of the head to the back panel of the
funerary monument.
ual strands grouped into thick locks are indicated with deeply
drilled channels marking the lock divisions. This distinctive way
of carving individual strands seems to be a characteristic of sculp
ture from Kos of the second century B.C. The back of her head is
3
1
covered by a thin veil that reveals the pattern o f her hair under
neath. The peaked fold of the veil at the top of her head is not a
common feature on sculptures of women from any of the areas i n
the eastern part of the Greek world, but a statue o f a draped and
2
3
veiled woman on Kos has a very similar peaked veil. We, there
4
fore, tentatively assign this head to a funerary monument from
Kos of the second century B . C The figure to which this veiled
head belonged would have been life size, of a respectable matron,
4
Cf. a similar head on a large relief from Delos (Rheneia) in Athens, National
Archaeological Museum 1156: Couilloud 1974, p. 149, no. 270, pi. 52. This
figure is standing in a Pudicitia pose with her head in slightly left profile and
looking down.
See cat. no. 4 with note 9.
Cf. R. KabusPreisshofen, Die hellenistische Plastik der Insel Kos (Berlin, 1989),
pp. 24851, no. 57 (Kos, Museum 17), pp. 29698, no. 92 (Istanbul, Archaeo
logical Museum 1554), pp. 29899, no. 93,114 (Kos, Museum 122), pp. 31820,
no. 114 (Kos, Museum Magazine Kastro PBE 497). The feature appears even
earlier on a head dated to the early third century, Kos, Museum 16: ibid.,
pp. 29293, no. 89.
Kos, Museum 17: ibid., pp. 24850, no. 57, pis. 5859.
possibly i n a scene o f several family members.
THE
HELLENISTIC
PERIOD
123
Cat. no. 45. Head o f a woman from a funerary monument. Malibu 57.AA.10.
124
EAST
GREEK
F U N E R A R Y
S C U L P T U R E
46. Grave Naiskos of an Enthroned
Woman with an Attendant
similar to that worn by our figure. The style of the deep folds
7
with closely spaced, sharply rounded edges is similar to that seen
on sculpture from Delos. The difference i n the weight of the fab
8
ric used for the two garments is subtly indicated on the Getty
About 100 B.C.
relief. The heavy fabric o f the dress is shown by the deeply carved
Largegrained white marble; Height: 94.6 c m (37V4 in.); W i d t h :
linear folds at the bottom of the figure. The cloak is made of a
120.7 cm (47V2 in.); Depth: 21.6 cm (8V2 in.)
thinner fabric, and one can make out a few folds o f the dress
through the cloak. The pattern o f folds on the cloak, which are
9
72.AA.159
placed i n parallel lines on the diagonal, are comparable to those
on several Delian funerary reliefs.
CONSERVATION
10
The woman's feet rest on a low, rectangular platform.
The top and the left anta are missing. The top was cut off for
11
reuse as an architectural decoration i n Lansdowne House, the
She wears sandals with single thongs that pass between her first
London home o f Sir W i l l i a m Fitzmaurice Petty, second Earl o f
and second toes.
Shelburne and first Marquess o f Lansdowne. The right anta
12
Unfortunately, the front o f the foot, which
1
would have provided an outline o f the sole that would have
has been roughly worked w i t h a flat chisel. The b o t t o m front
helped date the monument, is missing. Her hair is parted i n the
edge is chipped and missing at the left. The underside has been
roughly finished w i t h a point chisel and may be the original
center, brushed back at the sides into a roll, and caught at the back
surface. The back is finished roughly w i t h the point chisel and
i n a ponytail. There are spit curls at the hairline on either side of a
is probably the original surface. The sides have been finished
central part and i n front o f and behind her left earlobe. A fillet
w i t h the tooth chisel.
encircles her head. The way the hair is carved i n fine, individually
shaped strands is distinctive. Her round face with widely spaced,
13
PROVENANCE
deepset eyes has thin lips separated by a drilled channel. Both
Formerly i n the collection o f Sir W i l l i a m Fitzmaurice Petty,
second Earl o f Shelburne and first Marquess o f Lansdowne.
arms are adorned w i t h snake armlets and bracelets.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
her right reaches out to touch the l i d o f an open flat box or mir
14
The woman's left arm rests on the arm of the throne, while
The J. Paul Getty Museum Guidebook (Malibu, 1975), p. 31;
ror held by a girl standing i n front o f her. This pose is similar to
ibid. (Malibu, 1976), p. 37.
that on several monuments from Delos. The girl wears a dress
15
Michaelis 1882, pp. 44344, no. 26; P. A r n d t and W.
belted just under her breasts with a long overfold that has an edge
Amelung, Photographische Einzelaufnahmen antiker Skulpturen
(Munich, 1929), 11:12 (doubts the authenticity o f the piece);
pulled up and caught i n a bunch under her right arm. Her feet are
Vermeule 1955, p. 131, no. 26 (under Bowood); Sotheby's,
bare. Her hair is cut short and falls forward from the crown i n a
London, sale, December 4,1972, lot no. 128; Frel 1974, no. 10;
series of separate locks. Both the woman and the girl have two
16
Frel 1979b, p. 44, no. 87 bis (wrongly cited as 73.AA.159).
pronounced Venus rings.
17
The technique and subject matter of this grave monument
L A R G E N A I S K O S M I S S I N G I T S upper and lower portions and the
are both o f high quality; the young woman must have belonged
left anta. I t probably originally had an upper story, possibly w i t h
to a wealthy and influential family. I n workmanship, the relief
a pediment, antas with carved capitals, and an inscription below
recalls late Hellenistic sculpture o f coastal Asia Minor, Rhodes,
the figural scene.
and Kos, but especially o f Delos. O f these, Delos is the only one
2
18
At the right sits a woman on a cushioned throne with an
that furnishes a chronological point of reference. About four hun
elaborately carved leg. A funerary relief from Delos features a
dred stelai with figured reliefs are preserved from the island itself
3
woman seated on a Mine with an elaborately turned leg similar to
and from neighboring Rheneia, the main necropolis o f the island
this. The throne leg is formed o f several discs with a lions paw
after the purification o f Delos i n 426 B . C .
and volutes i n the center; the arm o f the throne is supported by
stelai are broadly dated to the later second and first centuries B.C.,
an upright carved i n the form o f a bird, probably an eagle. The
that is, to the period when Delos was a free port under Athenian
back of the throne is an openwork design composed o f two
control. None of the Delian stelai was found i n externally dated
4
19
The majority o f the
20
uprights and a crosspiece, all o f which have rounded ends. The
contexts, so the chronology is based i n part on historical proba
perspective o f the throne is unusual i n that the back is carved flat
bility and i n part on epigraphic and figural style. The quality of
on the back o f the naiskos, and the left arm and leg are carved
the Getty monument is close to some o f the best Delian m o n u
5
21
threedimensionally, projecting at an angle toward the viewer.
ments. For example, the style o f the throne back, facial resem
The woman's body mirrors the throne perspective to some extent,
blance, and the relaxed pose are similar to those on a large grave
since her head and legs are i n left profile, but her torso is frontal.
monument o f an enthroned woman from Delos.
6
22
The style o f
The woman wears a sleeveless dress with a flat band just
the drapery with a heavy fabric dress under a cloak o f thin
under her breasts and a loosely wrapped cloak that crosses her
material as well as the pose of the woman are seen on the funerary
body just below the waist and covers her legs. A sculpture i n the
relief o f Lampron from Delos. The deceased woman for w h o m
round from Delos—Gybele from the House o f Dionysos—
this monument was carved is depicted here as wealthy, fashion
wears a highgirt sleeveless dress w i t h a Vshaped neckline very
able, and elegant.
23
THE
HELLENISTIC
PERIOD
125
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Michaelis 1882, p. 443, states that it was put into the wall over a doorway. The
bottom was probably also cut off, since most intact Delian stelai have a short,
roughpicked tenon on the bottom surface for insertion into some sort of
supporting base. While few of the stelai have been found in archaeological
contexts, they seem to have been displayed within the necropolis on Rheneia
in at least two ways: either on top of a sarcophagus, like the late secondcentury
grave monument of Tertia Horaria, or inset into a squat base, as seems to have
been common on Rhodes. See Couilloud 1974, nos. 58 and 502, fig. 9 and
pi. 93; P. M . Fraser, Rhodian Funerary Monuments (Oxford, 1977), pi. 19.
The rectangular form of the monument may be compared to the slightly
smaller monument of Ammia and Boethos from Delos, which is crowned by
an entablature of triglyphs and metopes, Athens, National Archaeological
Museum 1218: Couilloud 1974, pp. 12930, no. 185, pi. 43.
The throne is an elaborate version of the throne with turned legs described by
Richter 1966, pp. 1923. The debt of this throne to Persian prototypes is seen
in the insertion of lion's paws about midway in the series of turnings. Cf.
Richter 1966, fig. 63, a relief from the Palace of Persepolis depicting Darius sit
ting on a throne with similar legs.
Athens, National Archaeological Museum 897: Couilloud 1974, p. 116, no. 147,
pl34
This style is seen on thrones from two Hellenistic centers, Samos and Delos.
Samian examples in PythagoreionTigani, Museum 168, and SamosVathy,
Museum 243: R. Horn, Hellenistische Bildwerke auf Samos (Bonn, 1972),
pp. 13638, nos. 11213, pi. 72; Pfuhl and Mobius 1977, p. 234, nos. 901 and
904. The Delian example is in Athens, National Archaeological Museum 1257:
Couilloud 1974, pp. 9394, no. 84, pi. 19. Another monument from Delos,
now in Athens, National Archaeological Museum 2391, shows a woman seated
on a throne with an elaborate arm, but it seems that the back of the throne is
solid, or perhaps covered with fabric so that it appears solid. The monument
of Ammia and Boethos (supra, note 2) shows Boethos sitting on a throne of a
different type, but it is still noteworthy in being yet another funerary relief
from Delos where the deceased is enthroned.
Figures on Hellenistic funerary reliefs most often face the viewer in a frontal
position. This outwardlooking position of the figures contrasts with Classical
Attic funerary figures, who usually interact with one another within the
figural scene: Zanker 1993, p. 215.
Marcade 1969, p. 113, no. A 4144, pi. 53.
Cf. those on a draped male figure found in Sarapeion c on Delos: Marcade
1969, p. 324, pi. 71.
This is comparable to a funerary statue from Delos, now in Paris, Musee du
Louvre Ma 2711: Couilloud 1974, p. 232, no. 4, pi. 89; Hamiaux 1992, p. 241, no.
255
126
EAST
GREEK
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
10 E.g., Athens, National Archaeological Museum 897 and 1273: Couilloud 1974,
p. 116, no. 147, pi. 34, and p. 88, no. 68, pi. 15, respectively.
11 Richter 1966, p. 51, a type 3. Cf. the relief from Delos in Athens, National
Archaeological Museum 897 (supra, note 10), in the way in which the seated
woman rests her feet on a low type of rectangular platform.
12 Morrow 1985, pp. 9192. The sandal resembles those worn by a seated female
hellenistischer
figure in Rome, Terme Museum 55969: A. Linfert, Kunstzentren
Zeit: Studien an weiblichen Gewandfiguren (Wiesbaden, 1976), p. 90 n. 299,
no. 198, pi. 38.
13 Cf. the hair on Aphrodite of the SlipperSlapper group from Delos, now in
Athens, National Archaeological Museum 3335: Marcade 1969, pp. 39396,
pi. 50.
14 Such jewelry is another mark of the high status of this deceased woman. Cf.
the snakeheaded gold bracelets and armlets from a Ptolemaic jewelry group
in the Getty Museum, acc. nos. 92.AM.8.6 .7: The J. Paul Getty Museum
Handbook of the Collections (Los Angeles, 1997), pp. 5657; M . Pfrommer,
Greek Gold from Hellenistic Egypt, Getty Museum Studies on Art
(forthcoming).
15 For the motif of a seated woman reaching toward an object held by an atten
dant, see Couilloud 1974, nos. 14749, pi 35 O the lounging woman as a
motif taken from a Classical Greek sculpture, see A. M . Nielsen and J. S.
0stergaard, The Eastern Mediterranean in the Hellenistic Period: Catalogue,
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (Copenhagen, 1997), p. 40, no. 14 (inv. 2026).
16 The pose, hairstyle, and flat chest of the girl are similar to a figure on a monu
ment from Smyrna, now in London, British Museum GR 1947.714.2: Pfuhl
and Mobius 1977, pp. 23435, no. 906.
17 See cat. no. 4 with note 9.
18 A fragment of a grave relief in Madison of comparable size and grandeur
features an enthroned woman. It is dated to the late second century B.C.
but, unfortunately, its provenance is unknown, though it is believed to be
from Asia Minor. Madison, University of Wisconsin, Elvehjem Museum
of Art 1977.3.
n
19 Thucydides 3.104.
20 Marcade 1969, pp. 2149.
21 See B. Schmaltz, Griechische Grabreliefs (Darmstadt, 1983), pp. 22937; Couil
loud 1974, pp. 23, 24353; S. Schmidt, Hellenistische Grabreliefs (Cologne,
1991), pp. 6577.
22 Delos, Museum A 3186: Marcade 1969, p. 289 n. 6; Couilloud 1974, p. 124,
no. 170, pi. 39; A. Linfert, Kunstzentren hellenistischer Zeit: Studien an weiblichen Gewandfiguren (Wiesbaden, 1976), p. 115 n. 458c, nos. 27475, pi 5
23 Athens, National Archaeological Museum 1156: Couilloud 1974, p. 149,
no. 270, pi. 79.
2
Cat. no. 46. Grave naiskos o f an enthroned woman with an attendant. Malibu 72.AA.159.
THE
H E L L E N I S T I C
PERIOD
127
Detail o f the the face o f the enthroned woman from the grave naiskos Malibu 72.AA.159.
128
EAST
GREEK
F U N E R A R Y
S C U L P T U R E
Detail o f the enthroned woman with her snakeheaded jewelry and the eagle arm support
on the throne from the grave naiskos Malibu 72.AA.15g.
T H E
H E L L E N I S T I C
P E R I O D
129
47 Grave Stele of a Woman with
Four Girls in a Sanctuary
On either side of the woman stand two girls i n various
poses suggesting relaxed contemplation. Two of the girls each
raise a hand to her chin, while a third stands with one leg bent at
the knee and crossed over the other. A l l four girls wear long
8
About 100 B.C.
dresses. The girl furthest on the left holds an object i n her left
Largegrained white marble w i t h gray streaking; Height:
hand, probably a bird as an offering. The second one from
46.5 cm (18V4 in.); W i d t h : 40 cm (i5 A in.); Depth: 9.6 cm
the left holds a flat, rectangular object, probably a box. The girl
(3 /4in.)
just to the right o f the woman also holds an object i n her left
9
3
3
hand, but it is too indistinct to identify. The girl furthest to the
71.AA.268
right holds nothing i n her hands; she is slightly larger than
the other three.
CONSERVATION
This relief of a sanctuary i n a sacred grove places the
The stele is complete. Plaster restorations done i n the eighteenth
century were removed from the woman's head and from the
altar. Two areas o f restoration remain, at the base
1
of the altar and o n the girl at the far right. The surface o f the
marble is very weathered, and there are some chips, especially
monument i n a small group of grave reliefs from the eastern part
of the Greek world that emphasize the heroism of the deceased.
The woman feeds the sacred snake i n a sanctuary while she prob
along the edges. Most o f the carved details are blurred and
ably burns an offering on the altar. Pfuhl and Mobius group this
indistinct from the weathering. I n addition, the front looks as
relief with twelve others that show libations and gift offerings;
i f i t has undergone acid treatment at some point, for the surface
there is no animal present here to indicate a sacrifice. What is
of the marble has a slick, shiny appearance. The back retains its
interesting about this example is that only female figures are pres
original rough finish made w i t h the point chisel. There are
10
ent. Most other libation scenes feature male figures or were
marks o f the tooth chisel on the sides.
erected for a deceased male. A relief i n Leiden is comparable to
this one i n its female figure offering a libation to a snake wound
PROVENANCE
Formerly i n the collection o f John B. C. M o r r i t t at Rokeby Hall
about a tree, but it is not carved nearly as carefully nor with the
i n Yorkshire.
same quality as the Getty stele. The atmosphere o f the relief has
11
more i n common with several monuments featuring women
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Michaelis 1882, pp. 64344, no. 1; E. Pfuhl, "Das Beiwerk auf
den ostgriechischen Grabreliefs," Jahrbuch des Deutschen
standing i n sanctuary settings that include trees and snakes.
12
Because of the religious nature o f the iconography, we speculate
Archdologischen Instituts 20 (1905): 55, no. 30, p. 56, fig. 11;
that this gravestone marked the grave of a priestess who was active
Vermeule 1955, p. 146; Sotheby's London, sale, July 1,1969, lot
i n a sanctuary located i n what is now modern Turkey.
no. 258; Selected Works from the Ancient Art Collection of the John
Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, California, exh. cat., Pennsylvania
State Univ., Hetzel U n i o n Gallery (University Park, 1971), no. 7;
Frel 1979a, no. 93 (identified as a votive relief to Asklepios); Frel
1
1979b, p. 44 (identified as a votive relief o f a hero); Pfuhl and
2
3
4
Mobius 1979, pp. 348, 351, no. 1480, p i . 215.
S M A L L T R A P E Z O I D A L S T E L E finished at the top w i t h a cavetto
molding. A tall, thin woman stands frontally i n a sanctuary set
ting. Her hair is caught up i n a bun on top of her head. She wears
5
6
a dress with a cloak that envelops her right arm. There are faint
marks on the cloak, especially evident near the bottom on her
right, that might be construed as press folds, a status symbol. Her
2
feet are formless, so she is probably wearing soft shoes that appear
to have fairly thick soles. Her extended left arm holds out an egg
3
7
to a very long snake coiled about a tree. Snakes are symbols of
subterranean living, that is, symbolic of heroes. The tree has five
4
leafy branches with individually carved leaves. A belted dress with
an overfold hangs from one branch of the tree as a votive offer
ing. I n front o f the tree is a small, round, flaming altar set on a
5
base with three bands of molding. A t the left of the scene is a tall
6
pillar with a small lekythos on top. This further emphasizes the
ritual nature o f this relief, for the lekythos is a vase for offering
libations to the dead at the grave.
130
EAST
GREEK
7
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
8
9
Removed in 1973 by staff in the Antiquities Conservation Department of the
Getty Museum.
On press folds, see Ridgway 1990, p. 219; GrangerTaylor 1987, pp. 11423.
Morrow 1985, pp. 12122.
On the role of snakes in afterlife mythology, see W. Burkert, Greek Religion,
trans. J. Raffan (Cambridge, Mass., 1985), pp. 19495.
Ibid., pp. 6870.
On this type of altar, see C. Yavis, Greek Altars: Origins and Typology (St. Louis,
1949)5 PP142 43 Yavis calls this kind a plain monolithic cylindrical altar
and notes that it is a common type in the Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman
periods. A more recent study of Greek altars is D. Aktseli, Altdre in der
archaischen und klassischen Kunst: Untersuchungen zu Typologie
undlkonographie (Espelkamp, 1996), but she includes only material through the fourth
century B.C.
See D. C. Kurtz and J. Boardman, Greek Burial Customs (Ithaca, N.Y, 1971),
pp. 1035. Cf. a monument in Oxford, Ashmolean Museum 1947.271, which
has a vessel atop a tall pillar in the background: Pfuhl and Mobius 1977, p. 88,
no. 149.
See Neumann 1965, pp. 116 23.
This could be a box for other offerings, or it could be a symbol of wealth such
as a container of jewels.
10 Pfuhl and Mobius 1979, pp. 348 5 1 .
11 Leiden, Rijksmuseum L. K. A. 1118: Pfuhl and Mobius 1979, p. 351, no. 1479,
pi. 215.
12 E.g., Athens, National Archaeological Museum 1158: once European art mar
ket; and Izmir, Kiiltiirpark 31: Pfuhl and Mobius 1977, p. 134, no. 395, pi. 64,
p. 143, no. 426, pi. 70, and p. 143, no. 429, pi. 70, respectively.
Cat. no. 47. Grave stele o f a woman with four girls in a sanctuary. Malibu 71.AA.268.
T H E
H E L L E N I S T I C
P E R I O D
131
48. Grave Naiskos of a Seated Man
nal at the front of the scene. His feet are sandaled. The right san
6
dal is carved i n great detail and is clearly a lingula sandal, a style
About 75 B.C.
with an overhanging tongue {lingula).
Finegrained white marble; Height: 143.5 cm (56V2 in.); W i d t h :
1
100 cm (39 /s in.); Depth: 26.8 cm (10V2 in.)
3
O n a low, plainedged
7
sole, a crossband spans the base o f the toes and combines with a
thong that widens into a tongue on top of the foot. A wide ribbon
secures side loops extending probably from heel meshes and is
72.AA.160
tied at the ankle. The sole is indented and closely curved along the
CONSERVATION
sole that follows the outline of the foot is common on sandals of
contours of the foot. The toes overhang i t slightly. The indented
The original funerary monument was broken at the top above
the right shoulder o f the man, through the hollow o f his throat,
and across the left upper arm, cutting off half o f the left
the Hellenistic period.
A griffin peers out from under the padded stool to look up
at the man. Griffins are related to Dionysos and notions of well
forearm. A l l above this point is a later restoration.
The head is mostly ancient, but i t was not a part o f the
being i n the afterlife. At the right of the composition is a tree with
8
original relief, being instead a representation, probably carved
a snake winding up its trunk. Snakes are creatures o f the earth
i n the round, o f Hades or Serapis. The top of the head is
and have a long association with the dead. The tail o f the snake
severely weathered w i t h loss o f definition i n the carving o f the
strands o f hair. The nose, front curls, and one curl o f the beard
are restored. The right cheek and eye are recut. There is
9
coiling about the tree is part of the original monument. The leafy
branches with the nest containing four small birds may be later
a hole i n the top o f the head, approximately 1.5 cm square.
restorations. The mans bearded head, though ancient, is likewise
The lower part o f the neck, shoulders, back, and left arm
not original to the relief but a later substitution. I t is o f a type
of the man are recut to blend i n w i t h the adjacent parts o f the
modern background. The t h i r d and fourth knuckles o f the
right hand and the second knuckle o f the index finger as well
used to depict gods, and various identities have been proposed,
including Asklepios, Zeus, and Serapis.
10
as parts o f the padded stool are restorations. The left front edge
Although this monument was discovered i n Rome i n the
of the base o f the relief and the lower right front leg o f the stool
eighteenth century, i t was possibly taken to Rome i n antiquity
are restorations. The top o f the tree w i t h the leaves, nest, and all
from the Greek world.
11
Restorations to the sculpture, both
the birds is partially recut and may be modern. The head o f the
snake is a restoration, and several fragments o f its body are
recut.
PROVENANCE
Found i n Roma Vecchia i n 1776 by the Scottish painter and
2
antiquarian Gavin H a m i l t o n ; formerly i n the collection o f
3
Sir W i l l i a m Fitzmaurice Petty, second Earl o f Shelburne and
first Marquess o f Lansdowne.
4
BIBLIOGRAPHY
J. Dallaway, Anecdotes of the Arts in England (London, 1800),
pp. 378 79; F. G. Welcker, Alte Denkmaler (Gottingen, 1850),
2: 221, p i . 11.19; O. Jahn, Griechische Bilderchroniken (Bonn,
1873), p i . 3.1; Michaelis 1882, pp. 43738, no. 2; A. H . Smith,
"Gavin Hamilton's Letters to Charles Townley," fHS 20 (1900):
30621; S. Reinach, Repertoire de reliefs grecs et romains (Paris,
1912), 2: 519, no. 3; Christie's, London, sale, M a r c h 5,1930, lot
no. 93; Vermeule 1955, p. 131 (under Bowood); G. Dontas,
Eikones: Kathemenon pneumatikon
anthroponeisten
archaian
elleniken technen (Athens, i960), p. 29; Sotheby's, London, sale,
December 4,1972, lot no. 129; Frel 1979b, p. 37, no. v 78;
Bodel and Tracy 1997, p. 8.
B A C K P A N E L F R O M A large naiskos that originally would have
had side panels and a roof. At the left of the panel sits a male
figure on a padded stool with his right hand resting on a knobby
walking stick, his left raised to his cheek i n a gesture of contem
plation. The hand does not actually touch the head—there is
5
about a 3mm space between the hand and the side of the face—
but the head is a restoration, and both i t and the hand show signs
of recarving. The man is wrapped i n a cloak that leaves his right
arm and chest bare. His feet rest on a footstool placed on a diago
132
EAST
GREEK
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
Drawing showing original and (in gray) restored parts o f the grave naiskos o f a
seated man Malibu 72.AA.160. Drawing by Jerry Podany.
Cat. no. 48. Grave naiskos o f a seated man. Malibu 72.AA.160.
THE
H E L L E N I S T I C
PERIOD
133
2
Roma Vecchia is an area along the Via Appia Antica about five miles southeast
from Rome. In addition to funerary monuments along the ancient road, the
area also includes the ruins of the Villa of the Quintilii. See A. H. Smith,
"Gavin Hamilton's Letters to Charles Townley," JHS 20 (1900): 31617;
Via Appia: sulle mine della magnificenza antica (Rome, 1997), pp. 1213;
A. Macadam, Blue Guide: Rome, 6 edn. (London and New York, 1998), p. 262.
Gavin Hamilton lived in Rome for most of his adult life where, in addition
to painting, he acted as agent in the formation of many British collections,
including those of Lord Shelburne and Charles Townley. See D. Irwin, "Gavin
Hamilton: Archaeologist, Painter and Dealer," Art Bulletin 44 (1962): 87102;
J. Lloyd Williams, Gavin Hamilton, 1723-1798 (Edinburgh, 1994); I . Jenkins,
Archaeologists and Aesthetes: In the Sculpture Galleries of the British Museum
1800-1939- (London, 1992), esp. pp. 1067.
th
3
Drawing of the inscription on the underside of the grave naiskos Malibu 72.AA.160.
ancient and more recent, have obscured the relief s original pur
pose as a funerary monument. I t was discovered by Gavin H a m i l
4
ton i n 1776 i n Roma Vecchia and mentioned i n his letters to Lord
Shelburne, i n which the seated man is described as "Aesculapius,"
the
god
snake.
12
o f healing, probably because o f the presence o f
the
The relief was repaired and a new head, probably o f
either the god Serapis or Hades, was attached. The relief later
became k n o w n as a depiction o f Homer composing the Iliad,
it has long been k n o w n as the "Homer relief."
and
13
The style and form o f the monument are, however, remi
5
niscent o f large, highquality Classical and Hellenistic funerary
monuments from East Greek centers.
I n addition, there is a
14
Greek inscription on the underside o f the relief:
6
7
HEAN0E
"Xeanthe"
These letters probably identify the sculptor o f the monument or
represent the marks o f the workshop where the piece was made.
The style o f the letters, especially the alpha and the episilons, is
similar to that on two Attic reliefs dated i n the first century B . C .
8
9
10
15
It is instructive to look at large sculptures carved i n the
first century B.C. on Delos, such as the "PseudoAthlete" from the
11
House o f the Diadoumenos. The way the drapery folds are carved
and the weight and character o f the cloth itself are similar on the
two monuments.
16
I n addition, there are similarities i n the sandal
on our man and a new form o f footwear (krepis) seen on male
figures from Delos. These Delian sandals are not o f the
type, but
their netlike uppers w i t h the
resemble the strapwork on our figure.
17
lingula
straps widely spaced
We conclude, therefore,
12
that originally this panel was part o f a large funerary monument
on the island o f Rheneia (the necropolis o f Delos), and that the
Romans carried it off at some point i n antiquity.
1
134
The monument contains marble from three different sculptings—the original
production and two subsequent restorations. Thus, samples were taken from
various parts of the relief for marble provenancing: from the lower part of the
relief, from the man's head, and from the snake's head. Stable isotope ratio
analysis of the three marble samples was conducted in July 2000 by Norman
Herz in the laboratories of the University of Georgia. The results for the sam
ples taken from the original relief and the alien head of the man indicate that
the probable source was either Mount Pentelikon or the Roman Turkish
quarries at Iznik. Since both marbles show a tendency to foliate, they are more
likely Pentelic. The results for the sample taken from the snake's head (part of
a postantique restoration) indicate the probable source as Afyon, a Roman
Turkish quarry known as Dokimeion. The complete report is in the file for
the relief in the Department of Antiquities Conservation at the Getty
Museum.
EAST
GREEK
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
13
14
Lord Shelburne formed his collection—one of the finest in England—during
the latter part of the eighteenth century. Most of the collection was displayed
in Lansdowne House in Berkeley Square, London. The house had a specially
designed hall of antiquities, equipped at the narrower ends with two semi
circular exedras. The statue of Herakles known as the Lansdowne Herakles
(Getty Museum 70.AA.109) was one of the principal sculptures on display in
this special gallery. On the Marquess of Lansdowne, see Michaelis 1882,
pp. 1035. On Lansdowne House and its sculpture gallery, see D. Stillman,
"The Gallery for Lansdowne House: International Neoclassical Architecture
and Decoration in Microcosm," Art Bulletin 52 (1970): 7580; S. Howard, The
Lansdowne Herakles (Malibu, 1978), pp. 2021.
The stool is of a simple type with straight legs that have been elaborated with
ring moldings. See Richter 1966, pp. 4243, type 5 diphros. On the pose and
the gesture, see P. Zanker, The Mask of Socrates: The Image of the Intellectual
in Antiquity (Berkeley, 1995), pp. 9 0 9 2 .
The footstool is a simple version of the type 2, whose legs are curved, perhaps
meant as lion's paws: Richter 1966, pp. 5051.
Morrow 1985, pp. 11820; M . Pfrommer, "The Emperor's Shoes: Hellenistic
Footwear in Roman Times," The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 74
(1987): 12627, for conclusive evidence on the existence of the lingula sandal
from the Classical period on.
See WoyschMeautis 1982, pp. 8387.
W. Burkert, Greek Religion, trans. J. Raffan (Cambridge, Mass., 1985),
pp. 19495.
Asklepios: Gavin Hamilton, in J. Dallaway, Anecdotes of the Arts in England
(London, 1800), pp. 37879; Zeus: Sotheby's, London, sale, December 4,1972,
lot no. 129; Serapis: Frel 1979b, p. 37, no. V78.
A small number of Attic funerary monuments made their way to Rome. See
Clairmont 1993, 6: 207. Although most of the monuments listed here have an
unrecorded provenance, one in the Palazzo dei Conservatori (no. 984) was
found in 1887 in the Horti Lamiani (Le tranquille dimore degli dei: La residenza
imperiale degli horti Lamiani, ed. M.Cima and E. La Rocca [Venice, 1986],
p. 193, fig. 127), and another, the large, highquality relief of a horseman in
the Villa Albani, was found in 1764 in the gardens of Maecenas (P. Bol, ed.,
Forschungen zur Villa Albani: Katalog der antiken Bildwerke [Berlin, 1989],
1: 24651, pis. 14046). These two were obviously brought to Rome from
Greece by the Romans.
Letters of July 13 and August 8,1776. See Dallaway (supra, note 10); A. H .
Smith, "Gavin Hamilton's Letters to Charles Townley," JHS 20 (1900): 317 n. 2;
Christie's London, sale, March 5,1930, lot no. 93.
Michaelis 1882, p. 437.
E.g., in the Classical period, see Pfuhl and Mobius 1977, pp. 2526, no. 56,
pi. 14 (Grottaferrata, Museo del Monumento Nazionale della Badia Greca);
PP 3536, no. 92, pi. 22 (Bergamo, Museum 10). Also cf. the reworked Attic
stele in Rome, Barbarini collection: C. W. Clairmont, Classical Attic Tombstones, suppl. vol. (Kilchberg, 1995), pp. 5155, no. 2.010. For monuments
of the Hellenistic period, see Pfuhl and Mobius 1977, p. 220, no. 848, pi. 124
(Izmir, Basmahane Museum 954), p. 223, no. 856, pi. 125 (Istanbul, Archaeo
logical Museum 1212).
15 Thanks are owed to Alan Johnston for advice on deciphering the letters. For
the Attic reliefs, see J. Kirchner, Imagines Inscriptionum Atticarum (Berlin,
1948), p. 29, nos. 11415. Also cf. those on a fragment of the stele of Zenon
in the Mykonos Museum, dated to the beginning of the first century B . C :
Couilloud 1974, p. 148, no. 267, pi. 52.
16 Athens, National Archaeological Museum 1828: Smith 1991, pp. 256 58, fig. 315.
17 Delos Museum A 228a|3: Marcade 1969, pi. 68; Morrow 1985, pp. 11011.
49 Head of a Woman from
a Funerary Monument
About 75 B . C .
Largegrained white marble; Height: 14 cm (5V2 in.); W i d t h :
12.2 cm (4 /4 in.); Depth: 13.1 cm {$% in.)
3
71.AA.324
CONSERVATION
The head is broken at an oblique angle at the bottom, from
just below the chin i n front to part way up the back. The face is
battered, w i t h losses on the chin, nose, m o u t h , and outer parts
of the eyes and brows. The surface o f the marble is weathered
and many o f the carved surface details blurred and indistinct.
PROVENANCE
Unknown.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Frel 1979a, p. 23, no. 88.
S M A L L H E A D OF A W O M A N carved nearly i n the round. Some of
the attachment point remains on the proper left side of her head.
The head would, thus, have been attached to a figure i n relief but
Cat. no. 49. Frontal view of the head of a woman from a funerary monument. Malibu
71.AA.324.
with the head nearly separated from the marble slab. The figure
1
to which this head belonged would have been positioned i n a
slightly right profile; the hair on the proper right side of the cen
tral part is more completely carved, and her right eye is more cor
rectly rendered. Her left eye is lower than her right. Even though
most of her hair is covered with a veil, the portion at the front is
arranged i n a series of horizontal rows of curls, a variation of the
melon hairstyle. The ends of the curls framing her face are
2
drilled. The veil covers the back o f her head from midcrown and
comes down i n front of her ears. The back of the head is smoothly
finished. Her face is round with a low brow and eyes neither wide
nor
narrow. She has a small mouth that is closed and a fleshy
chin. The head resembles those seen on monuments from the area
of Istanbul. For example, it is comparable to the head on a seated
woman on the monument, Istanbul, Archaeological Museum
5688. The figure to which this head belonged was small, indicat
3
ing that the monument it was part of was modest. Since the head
is veiled, the figure would most likely have been that of a heavily
draped matron i n a family scene.
1
2
3
Similar to the standing woman on a monument from Smyrna, now in Leiden,
Rijksmuseum Pb. 28: Pfuhl and Mobius 1977, p. 251, no. 989.
On this type of hairstyle, see Ridgway 1996, p. 58.
Pfuhl and Mobius 1977, p. 230, no. 885, pi. 131. Another head on a relief from
the same area (Istanbul) is also quite similar and from the same period.
Beyazit, Vezneciler: N. Firath, Les Steles funeraires de Byzance greco-romaine
(Paris, 1964), p. 100, no. 149, pi. xxxvn.
Right profile view of the head of a woman from the funerary monument Malibu
71.AA.324.
THE
H E L L E N I S T I C
PERIOD
135
Greek Funerary Sculpture from South Italy
THE
50.
LATE
CLASSICAL/EARLY
Fragment of a Female Figure
from a Funerary Building
HELLENISTIC
PERIOD
Located on the southern coast of Italy, Taras was a major
city of the Greek world. I n the late fourth and early third centuries
B.C., Taras was noted as a center for stoneworking, exploiting
both the local limestone and imported Greek marble. Tarantine
About 330 B . C .
architecture and artistic production greatly influenced the hel
Limestone; Height: 13.8 c m (5 /s in.); W i d t h : 10.5 c m (4V8 i n . ) ;
lenization of all central Italy, transmitting several artistic trends
Depth: 6.1 c m (2% in.)
of the East. The great fourthcenturyB.C. sculptor Lysippos from
3
Sikyon worked i n Taras for a period.
96.AA.244
2
Pottery from graves excavated beneath funerary build
CONSERVATION
ings at Taras dates their construction to the period 330250 B.C.
The fragment is broken o n all sides. The back is smoothly
The soft white limestone from which these sculptures were
finished. There is a r o u n d hole i n the back surface centered side
carved, quarried i n the region of Brundisium (modern Brindisi),
to side and placed slightly above the horizontal center line. The
would have been enlivened w i t h paint. Each relief or sculpture
surface is covered by a fine gray incrustation.
would originally have been part o f larger sculptural programs
decorating colorful funerary monuments conceived as miniature
PROVENANCE
temple facades.
F r o m Taras; gift o f Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman, New
The fragment is comparable i n the style of its drapery and
York City.
the method of its manufacture to an abduction group i n Taranto.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
3
The hole appears similar to those o n the Taranto fragment and
True and H a m m a 1994, p. 354, no. 219.
would have been used for fastening pins. Both the Taranto group
4
and this fragment belong to the first i n the series o f Tarantine
F R A G M E N T OF T H E B O D Y o f a woman that was part o f the deco
funerary sculptures organized by Joseph Carter and are dated by
ration of a small naiskos or funerary building. The fragment is of
associated tomb finds to about 330 B.C.
5
a heavily draped standing woman. She wears a dress fastened at
the shoulders w i t h a cloak wrapped to cover her left shoulder.
The fabric o f both the dress and the cloak is thick w i t h broad,
fairly deeply carved folds. A wide fold of the cloak is pulled up
tightly just under the breasts and is tucked under the woman's left
1
2
arm w i t h a protruding bunch o f fabric. The woman's breasts are
well developed and widely separated, w i t h several vertical folds of
her dress between them.
The back of the fragment is smooth. There is an attach
3
4
ment hole, which probably means that this fragment was part
of an akroterion. This and the following five fragments (cat.
5
See Carter 1975 for a comprehensive treatment of the Tarantine funerary
sculpture, its material, chronology, provenance, and stylistic groupings.
Among other sculptures, Lysippos created two colossal statues at Taras, one
of Zeus that stood some sixty feet high and another of a seated Herakles: Pliny
Natural History 34.40; Lisippo: VArte e la Fortuna, exh. cat. (Rome, 1995),
pp. 27888.
National Museum 117514: Carter 1975, pp. 3 9 4 0 , pis. 1, 2 a d .
Carter 1975, p. 39, notes that surviving pediments of naiskoi have preserved
platforms with dowel holes at the apex of the gable.
Carter 1975, pp. 2125.
nos. 5155) are typical o f a class o f limestone sculptures that
decorated small funerary buildings found on the eastern side o f
the ancient town of Taras (Roman Tarentum, modern Taranto)
in South Italy.
136
1
GREEK
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
FROM
SOUTH
ITALY
Cat. no. 50. Fragment o f a female figure from a funerary building. Malibu 96.AA.244.
THE
LATE
CLASSICAL /EARLY
H E L L E N I S T I C
PERIOD
137
51.
Fragment of a Relief of Two
Women at a Fountain, from
a Funerary Building
architectural reliefs. The Danaides were the fifty daughters of var
ious mothers and Danaos, king of Argos. Rather than submitting
to marriage with their cousins, the Danaides murdered their
bridegrooms on their wedding nights. After death the Danaides
were punished i n the Underworld by being required ceaselessly to
draw water i n leaky jars that must be forever refilled.
320300 B . C .
6
Another limestone fragment with a woman at a fountain,
Limestone; Height: 17 cm (6 A in.); W i d t h : 25.3 c m (10 i n . ) ;
3
close i n style and scale to this relief, is on loan to the Basel
Depth: 6.5 c m (2V2 in.)
Antikenmuseum from the Kuhn collection. The proportions o f
7
the figures are close to those i n the rest o f the Greek world o f the
96.AA.121
later decades o f the fourth century B.C. i n which the drapery fab
CONSERVATION
ric has both weight and substance. The fabric, which falls into a
The fragment is broken all around. The back is smoothly
pattern o f linear folds with contrasting shadows, has an opaque
finished. The head and body o f the figure o n the left are
quality that characterizes figures dated by Carter to about 3 2 0
preserved to the waist. The figure o n the right preserves the
300 B.C. and incorporated i n his group F.
upper body, minus the head. There is a light brownish
8
This relief may have been a metope or part of a continu
incrustation o n the surface o f the limestone.
ous frieze. I t is comparable to a metope i n Berlin o f a woman
9
carrying a hydria.
PROVENANCE
10
From Taras; gift o f Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman, New
York City.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
True and H a m m a 1994, p. 151, no, 67.
1
For the lions head gushing water, cf. an engraved example on a Prenestine
kista in Providence, Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design 06.014:
G. Bordenache Battaglia and A. Emiliozzi, Le Ciste prenestine 1.2 (Rome,
1990)5 PP 20710, no. 67. The water flowing from the lion enters a basin
flanked by two nude standing women who are part of a scene of bridal prepa
ration with Hermes in attendance.
2
Cf. the head on a relief in Taranto, National Museum 117914, for both hairstyle
and facial features: Carter 1975, p. 41, no. 8, pi. 3d. Carter divided the Taran
tine reliefs into twentyone stylistic groups, designated A through u, with
each group representing the work of a single sculptor or his workshop. This
head is in Carter's Group B, dated 325280 B.C.
3
The drapery is comparable to that on a relief in Paris, Musee du Louvre
Ma 2578: Hamiaux 1992, p. 250, no. 267. This relief is placed in Carter's
Group F , dated 320300 B . C : Carter 1975, pp. 5758, no. 110, pi. 20b.
4
5
6
Carter 1975, pp. 1620.
Cf. a frieze in Munich, Glyptothek 494: Carter 1975, pp. 45 46, no. 31, pi. 10a c.
On the Danaides, see Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (Zurich,
1986), 3: 33741, s.v. An example of the subject on South Italian vases is seen
on an Apulian volutekrater by the White Sakkos Painter once on the London
art market. Two women with water jars standing at a fountain house with
lionshead water spouts have tentatively been identified as Danaides: A. D.
Trendall, Red Figure Vases of South Italy and Sicily (London, 1989), p. 99,
fig. 257.
Carter 1975, p. 66, no. 172, pi. 28. This relief is placed in Carter's Group 1,
although the anatomy of the face is closer to that in Group F , where the Getty
relief belongs.
Both the anatomy and the drapery of the figures on the reliefs in Group F,
in which the Getty fragment best fits, follow the description for Type 1, as
outlined by Carter 1975, p. 32.
F R A G M E N T OF A R E L I E F that was part o f the decoration o f a
small naiskos, or funerary building. A woman stands on either side
of a lionshead fountain spout with water streaming from the
mouth of the lion. The woman at the left has wavy hair parted i n
1
the center and drawn back from her face to fall i n long tresses
over her shoulders. Her cheeks are full, her lips fleshy, and her
eyes heavily lidded. A p i n i n the top of her head attached some
2
further object, possibly a water jar. Her left arm is lowered. She
wears a dress fastened at the shoulders and belted just under her
breasts with a round cord. A bracelet adorns her left wrist.
The second woman, unfortunately missing her head, must
have had a similar hairstyle, since long, wavy locks fall over her
shoulders. Both her arms are lowered; a bracelet adorns her right
wrist. She wears a mantle over a dress fastened at the shoulders.
Her left arm is wrapped i n the mantle, and there is a thick roll
of fabric at her waist w i t h a bunch that protrudes between her
body and arm.
7
3
Where the reliefs from Tarantine funerary monuments
are preserved enough to identify the subject matter, they usually
represent mythological scenes. Most present themes o f either
heroism or Dionysiac immortality. This fragment may represent
4
one o f the Danaides i n an Underworld scene. Water carriers,
5
often identified as the Danaides, were a favorite subject i n South
8
9 See Klumbach 1937, pp. 1317, pis. 1114, for framed reliefs.
10 Berlin, Staatliche Museen 1641: Carter 1975, p. 58, no. 114; Klumbach 1937,
pp. 15, 6364, pi. 13.61. This metope is placed in Carters Group F , dated
320300 B.C.
Italian funerary art, appearing o n vases as well as o n Tarantine
138
G RE E K F U N E R A R Y
SCULPTURE
FROM
SOUTH
ITALY
Cat. no. 51. Fragment o f a relief o f two women from a funerary building. Malibu 96.AA.121.
THE
LATE
C L A S S I C A L / E A R L Y
H E L L E N I S T I C
PERIOD
139
52. Fragment of a Relief of a Seated
Woman, from a Funerary Building
R E L I E F B O R D E R E D B Y A narrow projecting frame, typical o f
metopes adorning friezes on funerary naiskoi from Taras. A t the
right of the relief panel, a woman sits on a highbacked chair.
1
She wears two dresses, a sleeveless one over another with sleeves
325280 B . C .
that are fastened with a series of buttons. Three buttons are visible
Limestone; Height: 23.3 cm (9V& in.); W i d t h : 23.7 cm (9% i n . ) ;
on the right sleeve of the dress. Over the dresses is a cloak that the
Depth: 6.5 cm (2V2 in.)
woman holds at the shoulder with her left hand i n a gesture associ
ated with brides and married women; i t may be a reference to the
79.AA.216
ritual unveiling o f the bride (anakalypteria)}
The edge o f a very
long overfold of the outer dress is visible below the hem of the
CONSERVATION
The panel is broken at the top and on the left. A large chip is
cloak. The woman's right foot rests flat on a footstool, while the
missing under the chair at the b o t t o m o f the panel. The right
left is pulled back so that just the toes touch the stool. Her feet are
3
and b o t t o m edges o f the panel are original and smoothly
smoothly carved with no indication of toes or soles o f footwear;
finished w i t h the flat chisel and rasp. There are rasp marks o n
she is probably wearing soft shoes. A second female figure stood
the background o f the front surface. The back has been finished
w i t h the flat chisel. The surface o f the stone is covered w i t h root
marks and some calcified deposits.
4
i n front of the woman, but only a few folds of her drapery remain
at the left, near the bottom of the fragment. The drapery has a
very fluid quality with multiple folds. I n contrast, the footstool
5
and the chair are sharp edged and precise.
PROVENANCE
F r o m Taras; gift o f G. Lynn Richards, Los Angeles.
This panel was probably part o f a frieze. The style o f the
6
drapery with its suggestion of transparency; its small, rounded
BIBLIOGRAPHY
folds; and fluid, slightly agitated quality place this relief among
Unpublished.
those carved between 325 to 280 B.C. This relief is comparable to
7
one of a seated woman i n Taranto.
1
8
The chair is a later, heavier, less graceful version of the klismos. See Richter
1966, p. 37.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
140
GREEK
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
FROM
SOUTH
On the gesture, see Stears 1995, pp. 11920.
The footstool is a type 1, the kind with a plain top and four perpendicular feet,
the sides sometimes solid as they are here: Richter 1966, p. 50.
Morrow 1985, pp. 8687.
Cf. the drapery on a relief in Heidelberg, inv. 26/56: Carter 1975, p. 50, no. 64;
Klumbach 1937, pp. 12, 6 0 6 1 , pl. 10.46.
Cf. the frieze composition of a scene from Elysion in Taranto, National
Museum 1711 and 1712: Carter 1975, pp. 5152, nos. 7576; Klumbach 1937,
pp. 910,76, pl. 8.4041. Carter places this composition in Group E, which
is characterized by drapery of thicker material and formed into parallel folds
that reach to the ground. There are no playfully ruffled edges as seen on the
Getty figure, which is placed in Group D.
The light, transparent drapery composed of numerous fine and varied folds is
characteristic of Carter's Group D, in which the Getty fragment seems best to
belong. This group is characterized by Type 11 anatomy, which is fully fleshed
bodies and faces, and Type 11 drapery, which is light and filmy material that
covers the body yet reveals it. Carter 1975, p. 32.
Taranto, National Museum 81: Carter 1975, p. 48, no. 54, pl. 12c. The loosely
bunched edges of the chiton along the woman's thigh at the seat of the chair
place this relief in Carter's Group D. This same feature is seen on the Getty
figure.
ITALY
Cat. no. 52. Fragment o f a relief o f a seated woman from a funerary building. Malibu 79.AA.216.
T H E
LATE
C L A S S I C A L / E A R L Y
H E L L E N I S T I C
PERIOD
141
53. Fragment of a Relief of a Warrior,
edge of the helmet and stream back over the side of the helmet. The
top of his left shoulder is covered by a couple of folds of his cloak.
from a Funerary Building
This relief would originally have been part of a larger
sculptural program decorating a funerary monument built to
A b o u t 300 B . C .
resemble a miniature temple facade. Battle scenes are a popular
Limestone; Height: 19 cm (7V2 in.); W i d t h : 12 cm (4 A in.);
subject for Tarantine artists, with most of the scenes mythological
Depth: 5.2 cm (2 in.)
i n origin. Here, the warrior seems to be i n repose i n a landscape
3
setting, for the tree is such a prominent feature that it places the
77.AA.123
scene i n the countryside. I t is difficult to place this fragment
within a specific datable group because so little of the figure
CONSERVATION
The top right corner o f the relief remains, the rest is broken
remains. The strands of hair flowing back from the edge of the
away. The original back surface o f the relief is preserved. A
helmet along with the thick border at the top of the metope
broad band at the top, 6.5 cm high, is smoothly finished; the
resemble a relief fragment i n Taranto, dated 320300 B.C. The
rest is roughly worked w i t h a flat chisel. A light gray incrustation
tree as a major element i n the scene is comparable to a metope
covers the surface o f the limestone.
3
that was on the art market at one time. The Getty fragment is
4
tentively dated about 300 B.C. on the basis o f the calm demeanor
PROVENANCE
of the warrior but with some recognition of the later landscape.
From Taras; gift o f Joel Kass, H u n t i n g t o n Beach, California.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Frel 1979a, p. 25, no. 98.
1
2
R E L I E F B O R D E R E D B Y A narrow projecting frame, typical of
metopes from friezes on Tarantine funerary naiskoi. The sturdy
1
trunk of a tree with two branches occupies the right side of the
relief. The top of the tree has been cut off. To the left of the tree, a
3
helmeted warrior is placed i n such a way that the crest of his hel
met touches the underside of the top border. The helmet is prob
ably an Attic type o f a later style. His head is i n right profile, and
2
he looks down toward the tree. The visor of the helmet is up, the
right cheekpiece down. Locks of his long hair escape from the right
142
GREEK
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
FROM
SOUTH
4
See Klumbach 1937, pp. 1317, pis. 1114.
See an Attic helmet from Melos, now in Berlin, dated to the third to second
century B . C : H. Pflug, Antike Helme (Cologne, 1989), pp. 2627, fig 20. Cf.
the helmets on reliefs in Tubingen, inv. 5378, and in Berlin, Staatliche Museen
885a: Carter 1975, p. 68, no. 189, and p. 91, no. 349; Klumbach 1937, p. 18,
pl. 15.79, and p. 22, pl. 20.109.
Taranto, National Museum 110380: Carter 1975, p. 60, no. 136, pl. 2id. Carter
places this fragment in Group F because the attitude of the figure is one of
calm resignation, and the proportions of the face and outline of the eyes are
similar to other reliefs in this category. Those characteristics apply as well to
the Getty fragment.
Basel (in 1958): Carter 1975, p. 79, no. 252. This is placed by Carter in Group M,
which has no assigned date and is characterized by him as an inheritor of local
traditions.
ITALY
Cat. no. 53. Fragment o f a relief of a warrior from a funerary building. Malibu 77.AA.123.
THE
LATE
CLASSICAL /EARLY
H E L L E N I S T I C
PERIOD
143
54- Fragment of a Relief of
a Horseman and Companion,
from a Funerary Building
The relief was part of a large sculptural program that
decorated a funerary monument built to resemble a miniature
temple facade. Our fragment must be just one segment o f a scene
that would have been completed with adjacent panels. Perhaps
it was a boar or lion hunt. The nude man is stocky; his chest
9
is marked by clear divisions, and his hip is accentuated. The
29O—25O B . C .
drapery seems to have its own character, separate from the
Limestone; polychromy; Height: 37.5 cm (i4 /4 in.); W i d t h :
3
bodies. The bit of cloak we see on the background is quite ani
34 cm (i3 /s i n . ) ; Depth: 7 cm (2 A in.)
3
3
mated and swirling. The figure on the Getty relief is similar i n
10
anatomy and pose to a figure wearing a traveler s hat {petasos) on
74.AA.7
a relief in Cleveland.
11
This small panel offers us a glimpse of the powerful effect
CONSERVATION
The upper left corner is missing, including the top o f the rider
and the head o f the horse. The left lower leg and the lower right
arm o f the man on foot, and the body o f the dog are also
that the original complete frieze must have had. Every line of the
composition, from the horse s tail to the dog s snout, is coordi
missing. Traces o f the rasp are evident on the sides and the
nated into the projected intensity of the moment of the chase. No
front o f the moldings framing the scene at top and bottom. The
irrelevant or superfluous details are present. The conception,
back is slightly concave w i t h striations marked on the surface.
design, and execution are synthesized i n the finest tradition of the
There are traces o f polychromy: blue on the background; red
artistic creativity that characterizes ancient Greece.
on the cloaks, the hilt o f the sword, the boots o f the foot
soldier, the body o f the horse, and the lower frame; brownish
on the dog.
1
PROVENANCE
From Taras.
2
BIBLIOGRAPHY
3
Frel 1974, no. 1; M . Yeganeh, Frankfurt, sale, 1974, lot no. 1; Frel
1979a, p. 25, no. 97; Frel 1979b, p. 44, no. 97.
T H I S R E L I E F WAS PART OF A continuous frieze from a small
funerary building. A cloaked, partially preserved horseman pulls
1
back his mount, while his companion on foot, naked except for a
soft peaked cap and a cloak wrapped around his arm, leans for
ward to attack with a spear (now missing) i n his right hand.
2
Although only the chest and parts of the cloak of the horseman
remain, they reveal his muscled physique and t u r n at the waist;
two creases indicate the movement. The flying drapery o f the
rider is similar to that on a relief in Cleveland.
3
The man on foot is clean shaven with long, curly hair.
There is a sword at his left side. He wears high boots. I n the
4
5
background, a snarling dog menaces the foe. The dog is a long,
lean variety with pointed ears and large paws, probably a type of
mastiff.
6
I n addition to mythological subjects, Tarantine artists
also depicted battle and hunting scenes, both appropriate activi
Cf. a frieze fragment in Amsterdam, Allard Pierson Museum 1388: Carter 1975,
p. 67, no. 181, pl. 2 9 b d ; Klumbach 1937, pp. 3 4 , 7 2 7 3 , pl. 3.13.
Cf. the rider on a relief in Bari, inv. 2949: Carter 1975, pp. 6768, no. 183,
pl. 30a; Klumbach 1937, pp. 1314, pl. 11.56.
Cleveland Museum of Art 27436: Carter 1975, p. 68, no. 188, pl. 31a; Klumbach
1937, PP4> 7i> pl415
4 Cf. the sword with the wrapped arm on a relief in Heidelberg, inv. St. 19:
Carter 1975, p. 86, no. 312; Klumbach 1937, p. 21, pl. 19.102. This fragment
is associated with one that was on the Basel art market in 1954, which shows
a nude warrior holding a sword of similar type: Carter 1975, p. 86, no. 311,
pl. 52a.
5 Morrow 1985, pp. 12337.
6 On hunting dogs, see WoyschMeautis 1982, pp. 5560; J. K. Anderson, Hunting in the Ancient World (Berkeley, 1985), pp. 4 2 4 4 , 9 3 . The dog's crouching
posture is similar to that of the dog on one side of a statue base in Athens,
which shows a leashed dog menacing a cat, National Archaeological Museum
3476: WoyschMeautis, p. 124, no. 256, pl. 56.
7 Carter 1975, pp. 19, 88 n. 54.
8 Basel: Carter 1975, p. 88, no. 330, pl. 54a.
9 Cf. the lion hunt on the Alexander sarcophagus: V. von Graeve, Der Alexander
Sarkophag und seine Werkstatt, Istanbuler Forschungen, vol. 28 (Berlin, 1970).
And a boar hunt on an Anatolian grave relief: Anderson (supra, note 6), p. 72,
fig. 26.
10 The anatomy is characterized as Type 11 by Carter and the drapery as Type 111.
These taken together form Group j , which unfortunately has no anchor in
time. Typologically it is, however, placed midway in Carter's developmental
scheme, and so can probably be given a date in the first half of the third cen
tury B.C. Carter 1975, pp. 3334.
11 Supra, note 3.
ties for Tarantine heroes. The inclusion of the dog here marks
this as a hunting scene. I n the funerary context, hunting is one of
the pleasures i n the life hereafter. Compare an applique once on
7
the art market.
144
8
GREEK
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
FROM
SOUTH
ITALY
Cat. no. 54. Fragment o f a relief o f a horseman and companion from a funerary building. Malibu 74.AA.7.
THE
LATE
C L A S SIC A L /E A R LY
H E L L E N I S T I C
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145
55.
Figured Corinthian Capital,
from a Funerary Building
C O R I N T H I A N C A P I T A L T H A T WAS part o f the decoration o f a
small naiskos, or funerary building. The piece is a figural variant
of the Corinthian capital. Such capitals had an extensive develop
ment i n Taras and may have originated there. The upper ring o f
1
About 330 B . C .
the capital is made up of spiny, finlike leaves, while the lower ring
Limestone; Height: 20 c m (7 /s in.); W i d t h : 24 cm (9V2 i n . ) ;
is of more normal acanthus leaves. The low abacus is decorated
Depth: 25.4 cm (10 in.)
with a small egganddart molding. Between the outer helices,
7
the zone at the front that would be occupied by the inner helices
96.AA.245
of a standard Corinthian capital is filled by a fanciful image.
Two bodies, seen i n profile, o f seated, winged sphinxes
CONSERVATION
The capital is complete. The top and b o t t o m surfaces are
merge i n a single frontal head. The long hair is swept back from
2
smoothly finished, w i t h a square cutting for a dowel o n the
the temples and falls i n tresses o n the shoulders. The double
top and b o t t o m surfaces i n each, approximately 2.5 c m (1 in.)
sphinx wears a beaded necklace and a tall crown (polos) made up
square. The surface o f the capital is covered by a light grayish
of petallike elements.
incrustation.
At the sides of the capital, the central zone is occupied by
PROVENANCE
a palmette. The back shows that the column crowned by this cap
From Taras; gift o f Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman, New
ital, though not actually engaged, was placed directly against a
York City.
wall. Instead o f a figured central zone, i t has a slightly projecting
piece with a flat contact surface. The architecture must have con
BIBLIOGRAPHY
sisted o f an aedicula framed by columns.
True and H a m m a 1994, p. 354, no. 220.
The
capital is typical o f those that decorated Taran
tine funerary buildings, which were ornate variants o f the
Corinthian capital. Nearly identical examples o f this capital type
are i n Taranto.
146
GREEK
FUNERARY
SCULPTURE
FROM
SOUTH
3
1
2
Carter 1975, p. 15 n. 2.
An example of opposed sphinxes with one head, but downturned wings, sits
at the base of an Attic loutrophoros on the stele of Archiades and Pole
monikos in London, British Museum 1886.108.1: Clairmont 1993, 2: 21920,
no. 2.284b. A Tarantine capital with a doublebodied sphinx was recently
acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, inv. 1995.95: Bulletin of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 53.2 (1995): 7.
3
Taranto, National Museum: Klumbach 1937, pp. 38 39, 85 86, no. 226,
pi. 30.226; P. Wuilleumier, Tarente (1939; reprint Paris, 1968), pi. 11.4.
ITALY
Cat. no. 55. Frontal view o f a capital from a funerary building. Malibu 96.AA.245.
Cat. no. 55. Right side o f a capital from a funerary building. Malibu 96.AA.245.
THE
LATE
CLASSICAL /EARLY
H E L L E N I S T I C
PERIOD
147
Questionable Authenticity
5<5.
Fragment of a Grave Stele
of a Youth
Probable imitation o f a Greek original o f about 560 B . C .
F R A G M E N T OF A R E L I E F broken all around, including on
back. Only a portion o f the background of the relief is preserved
to the right of the figure s mouth and under his chin. The head of
a youth is depicted i n right profile with a frontally placed right
eye. The eyelids are two slightly raised relief lines. Only four or
Finegrained white marble; Height: 24.3 cm (9 /s in.); W i d t h :
five locks o f hair remain behind the ear; the curled ends o f two
23.5 cm (9V4 in.); Depth: 4 cm (i /s in.)
locks o f hair are preserved. The figure is made i n the manner o f
5
5
an athlete and resembles the Archaic relief of a diskophoros.
82.AA.54
1
So little remains of this relief that it is difficult to arrive at
a conclusive judgment about its authenticity. Visual examination
CONSERVATION
Only a splinter o f stone remains, without any original edges
of the surface o f the relief suggests that the fragment has under
or back surface. The surface o f the marble is very rough and
gone various procedures i n order to make it appear as i f it has
pitted w i t h some spalls i n the area o f the chin. The marble has
weathered naturally. I n addition, the shallow channels that sepa
a yellowish patina that appears almost as i f i t had been stained.
rate the locks of hair look suspiciously as i f they were originally
created by power tools, rather than by the chisels and abrasives of
PROVENANCE
Formerly i n the collection o f Dr. R. Schmidt, Solothurn; gift o f
Archaic sculptors.
N . Koutoulakis, Geneva.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
—
Griechische und romische Kunst, exh. cat., Kunsthalle Bern,
June 12August 30,1942 (Bern, 1942), p. 9, no. 22; K. Schefold,
MeisterwerkegriechischerKunst.(Basel,
1
Athens, G. M. A. Richter, The Archaic Gravestones of Attica (London, 1961),
p. 21, no. 25, .figs. 7778.
i960), pp. 29,170,
no. 161; G. M . A. Richter, The Archaic Gravestones of Attika
(London, 1961), p. 24, no. 32; Frel 1984a, p. 32.
Cat. no. 56. Fragment of a grave stele of a youth. Malibu 82.AA.54.
148
the
QUESTIONABLE
A U T H E N T I C I T Y
57.
Grave Naiskos of a Standing
Youth and a Nude Boy
The monument is of a type depicting a youth, usually
nude, accompanied by a nude boy who, i n many examples, carries
objects connected with the palaistra, such as a strigil or an arybal
los. Certain features about this stele, however, are inconsistent
1
About 360 B . C . or modern
with similar features on comparable stelai with known prove
Finegrained white marble; Height: 74 cm (29Vs in.); W i d t h :
50.2 cm (i9 /4 in.); Depth: 13.3 cm (5V4 in.)
nances and, therefore, certainly genuine. For example, the youth
on this stele is clothed, which is unusual i n these kinds of scenes.
3
That fact alone is not i n itself condemning, however, for we do
73.AA.84
know four comparable examples with a clothed athlete. More
2
troubling is the way i n which the soles of his footwear are carved:
CONSERVATION
The top part o f the monument is missing. The surface o f the
the right foot has a thin sole typical of the fourth century, while
marble, including the broken top edge, has a granular quality
the left foot has a platform sole, typical of the Hellenistic period.
suggesting a weathered condition. Marks o f a point chisel are
discernible on the top surface. The back has gouges from either
a flat chisel or possibly a point chisel. The surface o f the marble
is shiny i n places, suggesting an acid treatment. The b o t t o m is
3
Further questionable features include the uneven nature
of both the background and the groundline and the character
of the broken surfaces, which appear to have been worked with a
sawed off except for the right lower edge, which is b r o w n and
point chisel. Especially unusual is the uneven nature of the
pitted w i t h dirt i n the crevices.
groundline on which the figures stand. The area i n front of the
left anta is the lowest level, while there is a separate clump of
PROVENANCE
marble under the proper left foot of the boy. The depth of the
Unknown.
back plane of the naiskos varies, especially to the left of the boy s
proper right leg, between his legs, and again between the boy
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sotheby's, London, sale, July 5,1973, lot no. 178; Frel 1974,
and the youth. The closest parallel—a gravestone i n Athens—
no. 9; Frel 1979a, p. 19, no. 71; Clairmont 1993,1: 481, no. 1.881;
shows the youth and the boy both occupying the same ground
J. Bergemann, "Die burgerliche Identitat der Athener i m
line and the back plane of the shallow naiskos more or less carved
Spiegel der attischen Grabreliefs," i n Griechische Klassik:
at the same level.
Vortrage bei der interdisziplinaren Tagung des Deutschen
Archaologenverbandes
und der Mommsengesellschaft
vom
4
Another questionable feature is the distorted anatomical
24.-2/. Oktober 1991 in Blaubeuren, ed. E. Pohlmann and
proportions of both figures, but especially those of the boy. His
W. Gauer (Nuremberg, 1994), p. 292 n. 39; J. B. Grossman and
left forearm and right thigh are unusually elongated, and his head
J. P. Maish, " A n Investigation o f the Authenticity o f a Classical
is placed above his shoulder, not over the center of his body. There
Attic Funerary M o n u m e n t i n the J. Paul Getty Museum," i n
Association for the Study of Marble and Other Stones in
Antiquity; vol. 5 (forthcoming).
is a flaccid quality i n the rendering of the musculature of both
figures, but more apparent on the boy. His buttock has none of the
firm, round quality seen on nude boys on comparable gravestones,
and it seems to blend into the frame of the stele; his arms and legs
S H A L L O W N A I S K O S T H A T TAPERS S L I G H T L Y from b o t t o m to
are thin with no indication o f musculature. The strigil and ary
top, framed by antas. The figure of a young man with the lower
ballos suspended from the boy s wrist are unusually large, and they
half of his body wrapped i n a cloak stands at the right, his left
completely obscure his genitals, a feature not seen on any other
5
hand resting on a twisted roll of drapery at his waist. His chest is
gravestone of this type. On most comparable stelai, the boy car
bare. His weight is on his right leg; the left is relaxed with the foot
ries the strigil and aryballos to the side.
slightly pulled to the side. A line carved under his feet indicates
the soles of shoes, but his feet are smooth with no toes indicated,
so he is probably wearing soft shoes or boots. At the left, looking
up at the youth, stands a nude boy i n a relaxed pose with his right
hand holding his left wrist, from which hang a large round ary
ballos and a strigil. He has short, curly hair. His face is long and
narrow with small eyes.
6
A technical analysis made on the stele by a conservator
consisted of an assessment of its condition; the state of its com
pletion; a determination of the degree of reworking; and an eval
uation of the toolmarks, of the marble surface, and of the residue
i n crevices of the marble. The results of these investigations sug
gested that the gravestone is at worst a forgery and at best an orig
inal funerary monument reworked to such an extent as to chal
lenge the integrity of any original surface.
QUESTIONABLE
7
A U T H E N T I C I T Y
149
Detail o f the top surface o f the grave naiskos Malibu 73.AA.84. The front o f the naiskos is at the bottom.
1
2
3
4
E.g., the monument of Aristion, son of Ariston of Ephesos, in Athens,
National Archaeological Museum 4487: Clairmont 1993,1: 467, no. 1.855.
Athens, National Archaeological Museum 745, and Syracuse, Museo
Nazionale 837: Clairmont 1993,1: 501 and 472, nos. 1.945 and 1.865, respec
tively. Paris, Musee du Louvre Ma 773 and 809: Hamiaux 1992, pp. 14546
and 201, nos. 139 and 208, respectively.
5
Morrow 1985, pp. 8788,14041.
Athens, National Archaeological Museum 745: Clairmont 1993,1: 501,
no. 1.945.
7
ISO
Q U E S T I O N A B L E AU T H E N T I CI TY
6
In contrast, cf. the anatomy of the boy on the monument of Theomnestos,
son of Theophrastos from the deme of Halai, in Athens, National Archaeolog
ical Museum 3586: Clairmont 1993,1: 47980, no. 1.879.
E.g., the boy on a gravestone in Athens, National Archaeological Museum
3702, carries the strigil and aryballos in a hand clearly at his left side: Clair
mont 1993,1: 497, no. 1.935.
J. P. Maish, in J. B. Grossman and J. P. Maish, "An Investigation of the
Authenticity of a Classical Attic Funerary Monument in the J. Paul Getty
Museum," Association for the Study of Marble and Other Stones in Antiquity,
vol. 5 (forthcoming).
Cat. no. 57. Grave naiskos o f a standing youth and a nude boy. Malibu 73.AA.84.
Q U E S T I O N A B L E
A U T H E N T I C I T Y
151
Formerly in the Collection
58. Fragment of a Grave Stele with
Two Standing Youths
Probable imitation o f a Greek original o f 520510 B . C .
the figures is uncharacteristic of Archaic art. The missing por
tions o f the youths' bodies cannot be reconstructed i n a convinc
ing manner; and various details, such as the execution of the
closed eye o f the wounded youth, are not considered correct for
sculpture of the Archaic period.
Conservators and scientists examined the piece to deter
Finegrained white marble; Height: 50 cm (19% in.); W i d t h :
57.5 cm (22 /s in.); Depth: 9.2 cm (3% in.)
5
mine its date. Various technical analyses were undertaken,
including provenancing o f the marble and investigation o f the
Formerly 79.AA.1; deaccessioned and returned to the dealer
weathering layers o f the worked surfaces. The provenance o f the
marble did not well match the established profile for any known
CONSERVATION
Broken on three sides. The back o f the slab is roughly finished
quarry but seemed closest i n composition to the marble from the
w i t h a point chisel. There are traces o f a tooth chisel o n the top
quarries o f Carrara i n Italy, which began to be exploited on a
surface and o f the flat chisel and rasp on the background.
major scale only i n the midfirst century B . C .
Cuttings o n the top o f the slab indicate that a separately carved
anthemion was to have been attached. O n the front, 5.9 cm
(2V4 in.) below the top, an incised guideline marks the lower
l i m i t o f a nowvanished painted border.
4
Examination of crosssections taken from the reliefs
worked surfaces showed no signs of weathering or apparent alter
ation of the exposed surface due to age or burial conditions. The
surface o f the stone had been subjected to such a thorough and
deep cleaning that there were no remaining traces o f tool marks
PROVENANCE
Unknown.
or any k i n d o f surface incrustation that might indicate its age. I n
the end, there was insufficient data to reach a definitive answer
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The J. Paul Getty Museum Guidebook (Malibu, 1980), p. 24.
Frel 1979a, p. 2, no. 3; Vermeule 1981, p. 30, no. 5; J. Frel,
regarding the authenticity o f the fragment on technical and sci
entific grounds. I t is likely, however, that the relief was carved as a
"Notes on Some Archaic Attic Sculpture," GettyMusJ 10 (1982):
fragment rather than as a complete funerary monument that had
98104; Frel 1984.
broken. This is often the case with forgeries where, however, parts
essential to the main narrative of the representation are intact.
FRAGMENT
OF A R E L I E F w i t h a finished horizontal edge at
the top. Two nude youths face one another. The youth on the left,
in right profile, wraps a band from a roll held i n his right
hand around the head o f the youth on the right. The eyes of the
1
right youth are either uncarved or closed to indicate a state o f dy
ing or death and account for the epithet of this relief, "The
Dying Youth."
1
Particular care was given to the carving of the hair over
the forehead o f both youths, while the surface of the top of the
heads was left rough, presumably for paint. The hair of the right
2
2
youth is arranged i n spiky waves like the hair of Antiope from the
pedimental group of the Temple of Apollo Daphnephoros i n Ere
tria, while the rounded locks o f his companion appear on The
seus of the same monument.
From the time that this relief was acquired by the
Museum, many scholars questioned its authenticity on the basis
of style and composition. The sentimental interaction between
152
FORMERLY
3
3
I N T H E
COLLECTION
4
Closed eyes do, indeed, indicate a dying or dead state. Cf. the figure of Sarpedon
on the calyxkrater by Euphronios in New York, the Metropolitan Museum
of Art 1972.11.10: J. Boardman, Athenian Red Figure Vases: The Archaic Period
(London, 1975), pp. 3233, fig. 22. Closed eyes are also seen on a small bronze
male figure in the Getty Museum, acc. no. 86.AB.530, which was originally
part of a larger composition, possibly a battle scene: The J. Paul Getty Museum
Handbook of the Collections (Los Angeles, 1997), p. 30. For "The Dying Youth,"
see Frel 1984.
The head of a kouros named Aristodikos found near Mount Olympus in
Attika is worked in a similar manner. Athens, National Archaeological
Museum 3938: J. Boardman, Greek Sculpture: The Archaic Period (London,
1978), p. 84,fig.145.
The Theseus and Antiope group is in the Archaeological Museum in Chalkis,
inv. 4. See National Gallery of Art, The Human Figure in Early Greek Art, exh.
cat. (Athens and Washington, D.C., 1988), p. 179, no. 66.
Samples of the marble sent to Dr. Norman Herz of the University of Georgia,
and to Dr. Luc Moens, Louvain, Belgium, produced similar results in both
laboratories.
Cat. no. 58. Fragment o f a grave stele with two youths. Formerly Malibu 79.AA.L
F O R M E R LY
I N
T H E
CO L L E C T I O N
153
59.
Grave Stele of Pleistarche
F R A G M E N T OF A S T E L E w i t h an inset panel crowned by
an
anthemion consisting of a single palmette of twelve fronds rest
About 360 B . C .
ing on a double volute. This type of anthemion composed of pal
mette and volutes without acanthus leaves belongs to the earlier
Marble; Height: 39.4 cm (15 V2 in.); W i d t h : 30.5 cm (12 in.)
82.AA.156; deaccessioned i n 1986
1
group of anthemia. The molding beneath the anthemion is com
2
posed of two parts separated by a straight, shallowly incised chan
nel: a taenia over a flat ovolo. The inscription on the taenia reads:
CONSERVATION
The top part o f the monument is complete; it is broken at
nAEIETAPXH nAEIXTIOY OAAHPEOS
the lower edge, and there are chips along the edges o f the
"Pleistarche, (daughter) o f Pleistias, from Phaleron"
sides and top.
PROVENANCE
The name Pleistias is attested at Athens and i n some of the denies
Unknown.
of Attika, but Pleistarche is not otherwise found i n the epigraphic
and literary corpora.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
3
At the left of the figural scene, a bearded man, Pleistias,
Clairmont 1993, 2: 379, no. 2.363; Osborne and Byrne 1994,
p. 369, no. 1, s.v. Pleistarche, and no. 11, s.v. Pleistias; Bodel and
Tracy 1997, p. 7·
leans on a stick placed under his left arm and extends his right
hand to a handshake with his daughter Pleistarche, who is seated.
4
Pleistias wears a cloak that completely envelops his left arm and
hand while leaving his upper chest bare. Pleistarche wears a dress
and cloak. The rounded back of her chair is preserved. Her hair is
fastened into a roll that frames her face. The fatheranddaughter
scene is similar to one on an inscribed monument i n Paris.
1
This fragment was given to the Museum as a gift in 1982. It was deaccessioned
in 1986 when the legality of its ownership was questioned. No suspicion
about the authenticity of the monument was evidenced while it was in the
collection.
2
Cf. the stele of Nikeso in the Piraeus Museum, no. 264: Clairmont 1993,1: 251,
no. 1.187.
Osborne and Byrne 1994, p. 369, s.v. Pleistias.
On dexiosis between women and men, see Stears 1995, p. 126.
Musée du Louvre Ma 777: Clairmont 1993, 2: 235, no. 2.292b.
3
4
5
154
F O R M E R L Y
I N T H E
C O L L E C T I O N
5
Cat. no. 59. Grave stele o f Pleistarche. Formerly Malibu 82.AA.156.
FORMERLY
I N
T H E
C O L L E C T I O N
155
Concordance
ACCESSION NUMBER
CATALOGUE NUMBER
56.AA.19
22
57.AA.10
57.AA.11
45
30
57.AA.12
29
57.AA.14
13
58.AA.4
23
71.AA.121
7
71.AA.123
17
71.AA.268
47
71.AA.281
44
71.AA.288
43
71.AA.324
49
42
71.AA.376
72.AA.120
72.AA.159
6
46
72.AA.160
48
73.AA.84
57
73.AA.97
73.AA.u5
73.AA.116
2
lO
73.AA.117
5
16
73.AA.118
7; . AA.119
7; .AA.121
71 .AA.122
18
7 .AA.123.1.2
7;,.AA.132.1
15
26
7;,.AA.132.2
28
7:-AA.l33
11
74.AA.7
54
74.AA.13
7<;.AA.63
35
7s.AA.92
24
20
77.AA.89
21
77.AA.123
53
70.AA.47.1.2
7il.AA.57
33
70.AA.58
7!).AA.l
3
9
58
79.AA.18
34
79.AA.134
7;).AA.145
19
40
7).AA.2l6
52
8 ).AA.157
25
8L.AA.54
56
8 1.AA.135
8
81.AA.156
59
l
8j.AA.206
156
12
32
83.AA.253
27
8j.AA.378
4
84.AA.14
93.AA.129
39
36
95.AA.47
37
9 5.AA.48
38
95.AA.50
41
9 5.AA.105
3i
95.AA.121
5i
9S.AA.244
50
9 5.AA.245
55
C O N C O R D A N C E
Index
acanthus, 5, 21, 71, 92,109,146,154
Agakleidas, 36, 3611.1
aging men, depictions of, 8, 32, 34n.2,36, 44, 57,
57n.i
aging women, depictions of, 29,3on.5,36,36n.3,
44, 44n.2, 52, 54
Aischines, 117,120
akroteria (decorations on a pitched roof), 8,15,
29,32, 60, 91,101,115,117,136
altars, 130, i3on.6
anakalypteria (unveiling of the bride), 8, 24,
26n.4, 47, 71,140
anastolë (hairstyle), 57n.i
anathyrosis (joining surface), 112
animals, 5,12,18, 27, 69, 74, 8291, 95, 98,10910,
132,144,146
antas, 18, 21, 24, 27, 29,32, 52, 60, 69, 95,115,120,
125,149
antecapitals, 18, 21, 69
antefixes, 36, 69
anthemia, 5, 21, 92, 92n.2, i07n.i, 109,110, iion.9,
154
Anthesteria, i4n.8
Apollo Ismenios sanctuary (Thebes), 101
Apollonia, 95, 96n.2
Archaic period, 1,3, 98,148,152
Archilla, 21, 22n.4
architrave, 15, 24, 29, 32, 34n.6, 36, 60, 69, 95
Aristandros, 95, 96n.2
Aristion, 98, i5on.i
Aristodikos, i52n.2
Aristomachos, 77, 8on.4
armor, 15, 98,101,142
"armsling" figure type, 120
Artemis Ephesia, 109
Artemis Medea, 109
Artemisias, 24, 26, 26n.11
aryballoi, 29,3on.7,149, i5on.6
Asklepios, 132
Asopichos, 98
Athanias, 101, io2n.2
Athenian Agora, 2, 82
Athens, 1, 3, 4, 8,12
athletes, 148,149
attendants, 10,12, 3739, 42, 47, 49, 69,107,115,
125,149. See also slaves
Attika, 1, 4
babies, 39,107
banquets, funerary, 115
Battle of Chaironeia (338 B.C.), 88
Battle of Delion (424 B.C.), 101
beards, 8,15, 21, 29, 3on.8, 32, 34n.2, 36, 44, 57, 60,
74, 77,132,154
Bellerophon and the Chimaira, 101, i02n.6,
i02n.io
Bias, 115, ii5n.2
Bildfeldstelen (recessed figurai panels), 18, 21,115,
154
birds, 12,18, 2on.4, 21, 27, 69, 74, 91, 95,125,130,
132
Bithynia, 107
Boeotia, 1
Bold Style, ioon.8
book rolls, 112,120
boots, 8,15, 21, 74, 77,110,144,149
boxes /chests, 10, ion.4, 39, 69,112,120,125,130
boys, 18, 20, 2on.8, 74,112,117,120,149
bracelets, 120,125, i26n.i4,138
braids, 12, 24, 66, 69, 95, 96n.5,120
bridal preparation scene, 10
egg, 130
Eirene of Kephisodotos, 3on.io
ekphora (funerary ritual), 4
Elgin, Earl of, 8,12,1411.1, 29,122ml
epaphtis (cloak), 10910,112,144
epitaphs, 1,3, 36
Eros, 69
Euphrosyne, 24, 26, 26n.11
Euteles, 24, 26, 26n.11
cap,144
capitals, 146, i46n.2
cemeteries, 1, 82n.6, 88
Chaironeia, Battle of. See Battle of Chaironeia
Chaironeia lion and monument, 88, 88n.5
chairs (klismoi), 8,10, ion.2, 42, 60, 74,140,154.
See also stools, thrones
chests. See boxes /chests
Classical period, 12, 3
cloaks, 8,10,15,18, 21, 24, 27, 29, 42, 47, 52, 60, 69,
71, 74, 77, 95,107,110,115,117,120,125,130,132,
136,138,140,144,149,154. See also "hanging
sleeve" motif
Corinthian capital, 146
couches (klinai), 115, nsn.3,125
crown, 146
cuirass (body armor), 15, i6n.5
curses, in inscriptions, 109
family, 3,15, 36,36nn.56, 44, 49
family burial plots. See periboloi
fathers, 8, 21, 36, 44, 60, 74, 77,115,117,120,154
fibula, 112
footstools, 21, 24, 42, 52, 60, 74,107,125,132,140
funerary buildings, 136,138,140,142,144,146
Danaides, 138, i38n.6
dating of works, 4 5 , 60, 62n.i4, 8on.9
daughters, 8, 24, 29,32, 42, 60, 69, 74, 95,107,117,
120,154
death, 10,152,152ml
Delion, Battle of. See Battle of Delion
Delos, 125,134
Demainete, 69, 69ml
Demeter, 118
Demetrios of Phaleron, 4
Demokleios, 117
Demosthenes, 8on.i3,117
departure scene, 15, i6n.i4
dexiosis (handshake gesture), 8
between father and daughter, 74,154
between father and son, 77,115
between husband and wife, 15, 60
between mother and daughter, 24, 29
between mother and son, 21
between women, 42
Diodora (Delos), 120
Dionysos, 132,138
diphros. See stool
dogs, 18, 74,104,110,144
doll (votive figure), 27
doves, 91, 95
dresses, 8,15, 21, 24, 27, 29, 42,52, 60, 69, 71, 74, 95,
107,110,117,120,125,130,136,138,140
"The Dying Youth," 152, i52n.4
Early Classical period, 98100, ioon.10
earrings, 10, 49, 5on.2, 66,117
East Greece, viii, 1
Geometric period, 4
gesture
boy holding bird toward dog, 18
of brides and married women, 8, 24, 26n.4, 47,
7i> 140
of contemplation, 132
hand at neckline of dress, fingering fabric, 120,
i22n.5
man leaning on a stick, 77
of mourning, 10, ion.6, 42, 42n.9,115
of speaking, 21
of sympathy, 60
See also dexiosis
girls, 24, 66, 69, 95,107,117,120,125,130
goose, 27
graffito, 81
grave markers
Athenian, rise of, 3
earliest sculpted, 3
elaborate Classical, 49
massproduced, 2
quality of production of, 2
reuse of, 30, 30n.11
survival of, 2
for unmarried people, 77
veneration of, 4, 95
griffins, 132
gymnasia/palaistrai, symbols of, 112,149
Hades, 132,134
hairstyles
anastole (brushed back), 57, 57ml
braids, 12, 24, 66, 69, 95, 96n.5,120
buns, 21,110,130
curls in front of ears, 10,15,39, 47, 4711.3,125
long, gathered, 21, 24, 29, 32, 42, 44, 44n.2, 60,
110,117,118,125,130,154
long, loose, 27,3411.2, 57, 74,138,142,144,146
melon style, 63, 66,135
ponytail, 125
short, 21, 29,3on.5,3on.8, 32,36, 44n.2, 52, 54,
60, 69,104,109,112,115,117,120,125,149,
152
Hamilton, Gavin, 132,134, i34n.3
handshake gesture. See dexiosis
INDEX
157
"hanging sleeve" motif, 8, 24, 69
headbands (opisthosphendonai), 10, ion.3,15
Hellenistic period, 1
helmets, 15, i6n.4, 98,101,102n.11,142, i42n.2
Herakleides, 109, non.2
Herakles, 112, i34n.4
Hermes, 112
herms, 95,112
Herophanta, 11718
horses, 104,112,144
hunting, 104, i04n.3,110,144
infant mortality rate, 3
inscriptions
Agakleides, 36
Apollonia, 95, 96n.2
Archilla, 21, 22n.4
Aristandros, 95, 96n.2
Aristomachos, 77, 8on.4
Artemis Ephesia, 109
Artemis Medea, 109
Artemisias, 24, 26, 26n.11
Asopichos, 98
Athanias, 101, i02n.2
Bias, 115, ii5n.2
Demainete, 5, 69, 69n.i
Demokleios, 117
Euphrosyne, 24, 26, 26n.11
Euteles, 24, 26, 26n.11
Herakleides, 109, non.2
Herophanta, 11718
Menekrates, 115, ii5n.2
Moschion, 5,18, 2on.3
Mynnia, 24, 26, 26n.11
Myttion, 12
Nikodemos, 2930, 3on.2
Nikomache, 2930,3on.2
Oion, 32
Opsiades, 32, 34n.7
Phaleron, 154
Phanokrates, 112, ii4n.3
Philoumene, 15, i6n.2
Philoxenos, 15, i6n.2
Philytes, 77, 8on.4
Pleistarche, 154
Pleistias, 154, i54n.3
Pollis, 98, ioon.4
Polyllos, 2930, 3on.2
Polystrate, 32, 34n.7
Poseides, 5,109,110, non.2
Posideos, 117
Prokles, 69, 69n.i
Rhamnous, 18
Sime, 5, 60, 62n.2
Thebageneia, 95, 96n.2
Theogenis, 2930, 3on.2
Thrasonides, 21, 22n.4
Thrasynos, 21
Timon, 117, n8n.2
Xeanthe, 134
jewelry, 10, 39, 49, 5on.2, 66,117,120,125, i26n.i4,
138,146. See also bracelets, earrings
kandys (coat), 12, i4nn.7~9
Kerameikos cemetery, 12, 4
kista (writing case), 120
klismos. See chair
knife, 2122
kore (young woman), 3
kouros (young man), 3
158
INDEX
krepis (sandal), 134
kymation (decorative floral border), 12, 29
Kyzikos (Bithynia), 107
lament singing, 4
lekythoi, 5, 7176, 81,130
libation scene, 130
limestone, 1,101,136,138,140,142,144,146
lingula (sandal), 132
lions, 8290
lionshead fountain, 138, i38n.i
lionspaw stools, 60, 62n.3,132, i34n.6
Lonsdale, William, second Earl of, 115,11511.1,117
loutrophoroi, 5, 7780
Lowther Castle (Cumbria, England), 115, ii5n.i
Lysippos, 2,136, i36n.2
Megarian alphabet/script, 100, ioon.2
men, 8,15, 21, 29, 32, 35, 44, 52, 57, 60, 74> 77, 98,
101,109,115,117,120,132,142,144,154
Menekrates, 115, ii5n.2
mirrors, 10,125
mnema (memorial), 4
molding, egganddart, 146
mothers, 8, 21, 24, 29, 32, 36, 42, 44, 52, 60, 74,107,
117,120
Morritt, John B., 120, i22n.i
Moschion, 18, 2on.3
mourning gesture, 10, ion.6, 42, 42n.9,115
Mynnia, 24, 26, 26n.11
Myttion, 12
naiskoi, 5,10, 27, 29, 32, 37, 39, 42, 44, 47, 49, 52,
54, 60, 63, 66, 69, 95,104,125,132,149
necklace, 146
nets, hunting, 104, i04n.3
Nikodemos, 2930, 3on.2
Nikomache, 2930,3on.2
oikos (household), 3
opisthosphendonai. See headbands
Opsiades, 32,34n.7
paint (polychromy), 34, 21, 29, 71, 74, 77, 98,107,
i07n.i, 109,110, non.5, non.9
paint traces, 12, 29, 71, 92, 95,109,144
palaistrai, 29,112,149
parents. See fathers, mothers
Parian marble, 98
Parthenon, 8,1411.1,15, 74, 77, i22n.i
partridge, 69
Pausanias, 102n.11
pediment, 8,12,15
Pegasos, 101
Pentelic marble, 8,10,12,15,18, 21, 24, 27, 29, 32,
37> 39, 42, 44, 47, 49, 52, 54, 57, 60, 63, 66, 69,
71, 74, 77, 81, 82, 86, 88, 91, 92, 95,134n.i
Peloponnesian War (431404 B.C.), 15
periboloi (family burial plots), 1, 4, 30, 71, 82
Persephone, 91, 95
petasos (hat), 104, i04n.5
Petty, Sir William Fitzmaurice, second Earl of
Shelburne, 125,132,1341111.34
Phaleron, 154
Phanokrates, 112, ii4n.3
phiale, 115
Philoumene, 15, i6n.2
Philoxenos, 15, i6n.2
Philytes, 77, 8on.4
Phrasikleia, 3
pillars, 95,130
Pleistarche, 154
Pleistias, 154, i54n.3
Pollis, 98,100, ioon.4
polos (crown), 146
polychromy. See paint
Polykleitos, 2
Polyllos, 2930, 3on.2
Polystrate, 32,34n.7
pomegranates, 95,110
Poseides, 5,109,110, non.2
Posideos, 117
Praxiteles, 49, 63
press folds, 42, 69,117,120,130
priestesses, 118,130
priests, 21, 22n.io
Prokles, 69, 69n.i
prothesis (funerary ritual), 4
pteryges (lappets), 15
Pudicitia pose, 120,122n.11, i23n.i
recarving, 30, 30n.11
rituals, 4,12, 95, 96n.i, 130
Rome, monuments brought to, 132,134,134n.11
sakkos (head covering), 10, 38, 39, 47, 49
sanctuary, 130
sandals, 8,15, 42, 52, 95,117,120,125,132,132^7
scarf, 117
sculptors, anonymity of, 2
seated figures, 8,10, 21, 24, 29, 42, 47, 52, 60, 74,
107,125,132,140,154
Serapis, 132,134
servants. See attendants; slaves
Severe Style, 100, ioon.8,100n.11
Shelburne, Lord, 125,132, i34nn.3~4
shelves/ledges, 112,120
shields, 15, 98,101
shoes, 8,12, 21, 60, 69, 77,110,130,140,149.
See also sandals
shoulder cords, 24, 69, 69n.2
Sime, 60, 62n.2
Sirens, 5, 21, 82, 91, 95
slaves, 10, 38, 39, 39n.6, 42n.8, 49, 69.
See also attendants
Smyrna, 112,115, ii5n.9,117,118, n8n.io
snakes, 130,132,134
soldiers. See warriors
sons, 21, 36, 60, 74, 77,115,117,120
spears, 98,101,104,144
sphinxes, 115,146, i46n.2
spindle, 107
staffs, 8, 9n.4. See also walking sticks
standing figures, 8,10,12,15,18, 21, 24, 27, 29, 32,
35, 37, 42, 47, 52, 60, 69, 71, 74, 77, 95, 98,101,
104,107,109,112,115,117,120,125,130,136,138,
142,144,149,152
stelai, 5, 8,12,15,18, 21, 24, 35, 98,101,107,109,112,
115,117,120,130,148,152,154. See also naiskoi
stools (diphroi), 21, 24, 29, 52,107,132
strigils, 149, i5on.6
swords, 98,101,112,144,14411.4
tables, threelegged, 115
tainiai (fabric ribbons), 12, i4n.2, 21,152
Taras {modern Taranto; Italy), 1,136,138,140,142,
144,146
tattooers, 98
tenon, 109
textile production, 107
Thebageneia, 95, 96n.2
Theogenis, 2930,3on.2
Thessalian grave reliefs, 104,1040.5
Thracians, 98, ioon.5
Thrasonides, 21, 2211.4
Thrasynos, 2122
thrones, 125, i26n.3, i26n.5
Timon, 117, n8n.2
torches, 117,118
Townley, Charles, i34n.3
trees, 130,132,142
trochades (sandal), 60, 62n.8,101
tunics, 15, 21,104,107,109,112,115,117,120
veils, 24,123,135
Venus rings, 15, 42, 47, 54, 63, 66,117,123,125
votive offerings, 27,130
walking sticks, 74, 74n.5, 77,132,154. See also staffs
War of Independence, Greek (A.D. 18211830), 2
warriors, 15, i6n.7, 98, ioon.10,101,142
water jars, 138, i38n.6
William, second Earl of Lonsdale. See Lonsdale,
William
women, 8,10,12,15, 21, 24, 27, 29,32,35, 37, 39, 42,
44, 47, 49, 52, 54, 60, 63, 71, 74,107,109,117,
120,123,125,130,135,136,138,140,154. See also
aging women, depictions of
wreaths, 95, 96n.i, 101,112,115,117
writing tablet, 112
wool, 107
wool basket, 95
Xeanthe, 134
Xerxes, 98
youths, 60,104,112,148,149,152
Zeus, 132
INDEX
I59
BENEDICTE
STACY
ELLEN
GILMAN,
MIYAGAWA,
SENIOR
ELIZABETH
EDITOR
CHAPIN
PRODUCTION
COORDINATORS
SANDY
DESIGNER
ROSENBERY,
BELL,
JACK
ROSS,
BRUCE
KAHN,
WHITE,
PHOTOGRAPHERS
DAVID
PATRICK
FULLER,
CARTOGRAPHER
FINNERTY,
ILLUSTRATOR