Sculptural Fragments Research Articles

Analyses of the brown stain on the Parthenon Centaur head in Denmark

In 1688 two sculptural fragments, a head of bearded man and a head of an unbearded youth, arrived in Copenhagen, sent from Athens as a gift to King Christian 5. They were placed in the Royal Kunstkammer, their provenance given as the Temple of Artemis in Ephesos, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Almost a hundred and fifty years later, in the early 1820’s they were noticed and studied by two scholars independently visiting the Kunstkammer. However, both concluded that the two heads belonged to one of the metopes decorating the south side of the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis in Athens, showing fighting between Greeks and the mythical Centaurs, part man and part horse. In the 1830’s another sculptural fragment, a horse’s hoof, obtained through the German archaeologist and state antiquary of Greece, Ludwig Ross, reached Copenhagen. It was forwarded by the Danish consul to Athens, C.T. Falbe, as a gift to King Christian 8. The inventory reads: ‘… was found on the Acropolis near the Parthenon temple and is supposed to belong to one the Centaurs on the metopes.’ The present paper focuses solely on the head of the Centaur.A brown stain was noticed on the Parthenon marbles as early as 1830 by the British Museum and has ever since eluded a deeper understanding of its genesis despite many investigations and attempts of analyses. A quite similar brown stain can be observed on the Centaur’s head in Copenhagen as well.The present study reports analyses by LA-ICP-MS, SEM–EDX, µXRD, GC–MS, and LC–MS-MS, as well as optical microscopy of five small samples sequestered in 1999 from the Centaur head curated by the National Museum of Denmark. Our analyses show that the brown stain consists of two consecutively added surficial layers of the calcium oxalate minerals whewellite and weddellite. Despite a thorough search using proteomics, we have found no viable organic precursor material for the oxalates. Our results do not solve the mystery of the formation of the brown stain, but they do further qualify the structure and characterization of the brown stain.

A Box of Alabaster

Of late, and unexpectedly, alabaster sculpture has become a fashionable topic with medievalists. This may have something to do with its material and visual character, which seems to generate an irrational sort of excitement. Certainly, when discovered, a fragment of alabaster sculpture will usually get more attention than one made of another sort of stone. It may also be that alabaster, in its suavity and religious associations, is more rhetorically generous than other materials. Whatever the reason, the past five years have produced, along with many essays and catalogue entries, a long monograph by Kim Woods, an important thesis by Lloyd de Beer, and essay-collections edited by Marian Debaene and Zuleika Murat.1 Reassessing Alabaster Sculpture in Medieval England is an interesting addition to this literature, not least because it is the only book on English alabasters organised and mainly written by scholars based in North America, as opposed to Europe. North American work on late medieval English art often has a literary orientation absent in British scholarship: as the poetics of alabaster sculpture arise from medieval literature as much as anything else, the reader may expect subtle and refreshing insights, particularly given the distinction and experience of the authors. This expectation is to some extent met, but the book as a whole does not say as much about its subject as its title might suggest. To justify this opinion, and manage the potential reader’s expectations, a little more needs to be said about the book’s focus and scholarly context before turning to the essays.

Investigation towards Laser Cleaning of Corrosion Products from Lead Objects

In this work lasers with micro-, nano-, pico- and femtosecond pulse durations were used to clean atmospheric corrosion products from the fragments of a 19th-century lead outdoor sculpture. The state of the surface was studied by optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It was shown that for all lasers used there is no self-limiting cleaning effect, and the metal damage threshold is lower than the corrosion removal threshold. Using the XPS method, it has been demonstrated that the effect of turning a metallic lead surface blue after irradiation is associated with an interference effect in the PbO film. Raman spectroscopy indicated no phase changes in the corrosion layer after laser cleaning with 8 ns, 75 ps and 100 fs pulses, which makes these lasers useful for the layer-by-layer cleaning of archaeological objects.

Odrazi sjevernojadranskih klesarskih radionica u ranosrednjovjekovnom Sisku

The paper contributes to the interpretation of five fragments of early medieval sculpture and two capitals from the 5th century found around Sisak. Through the historical context and the analysis of the formal elements of early medieval sculpture, the authors discuss influences that came to the Pannonia Inferior from the cultural centres in the northern Adriatic, thus reflecting the specific circumstances in which Sisak is mentioned again after the late antique period in written sources of the early 9th century.

Roman inscriptions and sculptural fragments from Moldovenești and Bădeni

The paper publishes a series of fragmentary Roman monuments embedded into the walls of churches in Moldovenești and Bădeni (Cluj County). A part of them, epigraphic pieces belong to fragmentary funerary monuments and bring new information on onomastic and prosopography. Other fragments of funerary monuments only preserve the figurative and decorative sculptural decoration. Only two monuments are votive: a relief with the figure of Silvanus and an uninscribed altar. To have a complete picture of the recycling habit of the Roman monuments during the Middle Ages, some decorated architectural fragments are also presented. All these monuments come from the ancient city of Potaissa (currently Turda, Cluj County).

Sculpting the Glauberg "prince". A traceological research of the Celtic sculpture and related fragments from the Glauberg (Hesse, Germany).

Article presents the results of a complex traceological research of the famous statue of the „prince”of Glauberg, found in an Early La Tène funeral complex in Glauberg (Hesse). Research focused also on two other fragments of related sandstone sculptures, found together with the Glauberger prince. The sandstone „prince”of Glauberg was already in the past a subject of many archaeological studies. Nevertheless, all or absolute majority of them were focused on aspects of art historian nature or on the question of the origin, role and function of such sculptures in the Early Iron Age Central Europe. On the contrary, the aim of our research is oriented exclusively on the questions related to the manufacture of this sculpture, identification of used sculptor´s tools and applied working techniques. Our research was realised by means of digital documentation followed by the aplication of traceological methods. The character of the survived working traces on the sculpture´s surfaces was studied by mechanoscopy, while the material of used tools was determined by X-ray fluorescence. The reconstructions of used tools were compared with the existing tools as represented by the Iron Age archaeological finds. This comparison was oriented on the most relevant regions of developed La Tène culture, particularly on South Western Germany and Bohemia. However, also other relevant area, significant as the possible source of inspiration of Celtic sculptors for the creation of the monumental sculpture–Apennine peninsula, was taken into consideration. Our research revealed individual steps and phases during the sculpture´s manufacture, enabled the reconstrucion of used tools and confirmed real existence of such tools in mentioned regions. Finally it has brought first indices of the necessity of the distinguishing between ideological and technological aspects of related Celtic sculpture, when considering possible influence of Apennine peninsula on transalpine Central Europe.

The role of plants and fibres in modelling monumental terracruda sculptures of the Silk Roads: archaeobotanical analyses from the Buddhists sites of Tepe-Narenj and Qol-e-tut (Kabul, Afghanistan)

This work presents the results of archaeobotanical examinations of fragments of monumental terracruda sculptures from the Buddhist sites of Tepe Narenj and Qol-e-tut (Kabul, Afghanistan—5th to eleventh centuries CE). The results indicate that different plants and parts of plants were intentionally added to the clay mixtures. In particular, we identified an extensive presence of bast fibres, which were not evidenced by macroscopic examinations and previous analyses. Among the fibres, we highlight the presence of ramie/nettle, whose use has been identified for the first time in this type of artworks. The determination of these herbaceous additives offer a new perspective for studying the manufacturing technique, as well as an anchor point to follow this tradition along the Silk Roads. It also provides relevant information that should be taken into account in the design of conservative interventions adapted to the specific nature of this heritage.

Das Heiligtum des Jupiter Optimus Maximus auf dem Pfaffenberg/Carnuntum 3: Ausgrabungen und Funde im Spannungsfeld der Interessen. By Werner Jobst (Der römische Limes in Österreich 41.3). 3 vols. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften 2021. Pp. 990 + 43 folding plans. €249. ISBN 978-3-7001-8399-0 (cloth).

<i>Das Heiligtum des Jupiter Optimus Maximus auf dem Pfaffenberg/Carnuntum 3: Ausgrabungen und Funde im Spannungsfeld der Interessen</i>. By Werner Jobst (Der römische Limes in Österreich 41.3). 3 vols. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften 2021. Pp. 990 + 43 folding plans. €249. ISBN 978-3-7001-8399-0 (cloth).

Visualizing Votive Practice: Exploring Limestone and Terracotta Sculpture from Athienou-Malloura Through 3D Models By Derek B. Counts, Erin Walcek Averett, Kevin Garstki, and Michael K. Toumazou, with contributions by Clay M. Cofer and Katherine A. P. Iselin. Grand Forks: The Digital Press at the University of North Dakota 2020. Pp. 362 pages. Download (free). ISBN 9781734506877. https://doi.org/10.31356/dpb011 (ebook).

<i>Visualizing Votive Practice: Exploring Limestone and Terracotta Sculpture from Athienou-Malloura Through 3D Models</i> By Derek B. Counts, Erin Walcek Averett, Kevin Garstki, and Michael K. Toumazou, with contributions by Clay M. Cofer and Katherine A. P. Iselin. Grand Forks: <i>The Digital Press at the University of North Dakota 2020</i>. Pp. 362 pages. Download (free). ISBN 9781734506877. https://doi.org/10.31356/dpb011 (ebook).

THE CARISBROOKE HAND: ANGLO-SAXON SCULPTURE AND THE HAND OF GOD?

This paper discusses the significance of a fragment of stone sculpture built into the north wall of the churchyard at Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight. The sculpture depicts an open right hand that is larger than life-sized and is probably of late Anglo-Saxon date. The size and character of the sculpture favours a manus dei (hand of God), forming the upper element of a large rood assemblage. The authors consider allied sculpture in which such a hand appears on Anglo-Saxon grave markers and in similar low relief depictions where Christ is figured on the Cross. At Carisbrooke, this architectural sculpture would have formed a significant feature of an Anglo-Saxon minster church that was rebuilt in the early Norman period. The siting of this building and the extent of its parochia is briefly considered. Supplementary material reviews the probable significance of the sculptural use of Quarr stone at Carisbrooke and elsewhere.

Fragments of Roman Sculptures from Hadrian's Villa

This article focuses on 12 fragments of Roman sculptures preserved in the storage rooms of Hadrian's villa in Tivoli. Ten can be identified as portraits of Hadrian, Antinous, Commodus, Caracalla, and possibly Elagabalus. Another is a head with a ringlet hairpiece (Löckchentoupet), which could represent a female member of Hadrian's family or a servant. The 12th fragment is identified as the only known replica of a head that is in the Louvre, and the two are interpreted as Roman copies of the head of a lost Hellenistic original.

La Cattedrale di Osimo e i fragmenta dei suoi arredi liturgici (VIII-XIII secolo)

The paper aims to reconsider the fragments of liturgical furnishing related to the Cathedral of Osimo, in the nearby of Ancona. The sculptures cover a wide chronological range, from the 8th to the 13th century and are today decontextualized. In this respect, the article tries to reassess and analyze different phases of the cathedral’s re-building and re-furnishing by considering the fragments of sculptures and their possible function. After a first part dedicated to partially-known Lombard and Carolingian fragments, the paper focuses on the pulpit, dating to the first decades of Duecento, whose parts are preserved in the Cathedral museum. The intention is to suggest its original position in the late-Romanesque building by considering the different altars and the liturgical topography of the church, thanks to historical sources and to some comparisons with similar situations in Central Italy. In this light, the paper represents a first step in a Cathedral’s deep reconsideration, both from an architectural and a sculptural point of view.

Clausura and Liturgical Installations in Late Medieval Convents in Rome and Latium

Rome and Latium have yet to be the subject of comprehensive studies of medieval conventual art, especially in the context of liturgical installations and their sculpture. The reasons for the lack of an overarching study in Latium during the medieval period are manifold. While women sometimes inherited complexes from their male counterparts rather than constructing their own; other conventual complexes had a private and domestic quality to them, which sometimes resulted in less formalized spatial divisions made of ephemeral materials like mud, wood or even linens. The study of nunneries’ ceremonial installations is a reconstructive form of research, one that either deals with fragmented installations, or, with their uncanny absence. The adopted methodology used to reconstruct women’s ceremonial installations integrates written sources (visitation records, travellers accounts, letters) historic drawn plans and sculptural fragments. The study of fragments, or, their absence ultimately feeds into the broader scope of this research, which aims to gain a holistic understanding of sacred religious space destined for women. The five case studies selected for this conference showcase and tackle major challenges tied to the investigation of conventual communities and their liturgical

A New Chronological Proposal for the Early Medieval Liturgical Installations of the Church of San Lorenzo in Verona

This article analyzes for the first time the largest corpus of Early Medieval sculptures in the city of Verona, located in the church of San Lorenzo. Until now, these sculptures had never been well studied and are currently placed in a courtyard outside the church, reason why they are completely ruined. Thanks to the invaluable historical photographs that were taken at the end of the 19th century and which are now in the Avery Library in New York, it was possible for me to reconstruct the pieces and their decorative motifs. Thanks to this operation, I was able to compare the more than 30 sculptural fragments with other pieces from the Verona area and propose new chronologies for the Early Medieval liturgical installation of San Lorenzo, which includes fragments of a ciborium, fragments of pillars and parts of plutei. In my opinion, these pieces are not homogeneous, but were made at different times between the end of the 8th century and the beginning of the 9th century.

Frammenti vecchi e nuovi: arredi liturgici altomedievali in Costa d’Amalfi

Some early medieval sculptures found in the territory of the Amalfi Coast, especially in the city of Amalfi itself and in nearby Atrani are here analyzed. I want to focus on elements of architectural and liturgical furnishings, unfortunately erratic and decontextualized, found during the restoration of the church of San Salvatore de Birecto in Atrani. These are some unpublished fragments of slabs filled with circular decoration and others on which the head and body of a peacock can be identified, probably datable to the mid-9th century. Another small nucleus of Amalfi pieces must also be added to this group of sculptural fragments. These sculputures are today lost, but there is fortunately a photographic documentation preserved in the archive of the Norwegian Institute in Rome. They are heterogeneous materials of different chronology, which show both decorative solutions widespread in central Italy between the end of the 8th and the 9th century, and stylistic features characteristic of the production of Cimitile and its territory at the beginning of 10th century.

Architectural Terracruda Sculptures of the Silk Roads: New Conservation Insights Through a Diagnostic Approach Based on Non-Destructive X-ray Micro-Computed Tomography

ABSTRACT This work presents the results of the study of a fragment of architectural terracruda sculpture from the Buddhist archaeological site of Tepe Narenj (Kabul, Afghanistan, fifth-ninth centuries CE) through X-ray micro-computed tomographic analysis. This technique offers great potential for the study of artworks that, due to their nature, condition, or relevance, are not suitable for sampling. The results have provided useful data for understanding the making of the sculpture showing for the first time the relevance of materials of plant origin used in the composition of the clay-based body, a feature that had not been previously highlighted and which appears to be crucial for proposing suitable conservation interventions.

A Roman funerary aedicula wall with an erotic (?) scene from Porolissum

During the archaeological research carried out in 1982 at the Roman auxiliary fort on the Pomăt Hill from Porolissum, in the walls near the area of the porta praetoria, several sculptural fragments belonging to a funerary construction of the aedicula type with two columns in front were reused. Although the fragments have been restored since their discovery, until recently, they were not considered as part of the same monument. The enquiry however clearly shows that the side walls do possess scenes that can be deciphered. On the inside the image of the two servants participating in the funeral banquet is revealed, while on the outside a typical scene of Roman funerary iconography is outlined, the god Attis, but also a special scene, involving two characters engaged in a scene with obvious erotic connotations. This last representation is also the one that raises the most interesting analyzes from the iconographic point of view, that scene being able to have both an erotic character, and a more likely mythological interpretation.

Preliminary Report on the Theatre of Smyrna / Izmir and the Excavations (2014-2019)

The Theatre of Smyrna, whose presence in the memory of the city of Izmir dates back to the 17th century, begins to appear after the demolition of the modern houses constructed in this area since the 19th century. Excavations carried out in the last 5 years revealed the east part of the cavea and some additions of the stage building. The archaeological excavations realised in the stage building revealed the presence of many sculpture fragments and architectural blocks including friezes with masks, which provide information about the façade of the building in the 2nd century AD. The research has also revealed the existence of various epigraphic findings that shed light on the urban life. While the excavations showed that some parts of the ima cavea and the diazoma were preserved, many figurines and ceramics were also found, which gave an idea about the possible structures around the theatre.

The artistic Heritage of Dzanabadzar and his School preserved in the Collections of the State Hermitage

The article deals with the heritage of the outstanding master of Mongolian art Gombodorzhiin Dzanabadzar (1635-1723) and his disciples, who formed the so-called “school of Dzanabadzar”. The actual subject to analysis are most significant works of Mongolian Buddhist art preserved in the collections of the State Hermitage / St Petersburg. These comprise bronze sculptures and scrolls (tankas), as well as fragments of Buddhist clay sculptures and some other items, which originate from the Sardag monastery, the moulds for which were designed by Dzanabadzar. To describe the holdings, the author uses comparative analysis of the Buddhist iconography and stylistics. The sculptural works of the master as well as his disciples are so diverse that it is almost impossible to ascertain two completely identical items. The same is relevant for the phenomenon of the Dzanabadzar school plastics. Only the images of the clay tathagatas where were used the moulds are completely identical. The article offers a cornucopia of material for further discussions regarding the Mongolian art preserved in the collections of the State Hermitage.

Escultura de emperador sedente en &lt;em&gt;colonia Patricia&lt;/em&gt;

En este artículo presentamos los resultados de la investigación desarrollada sobre un grupo de cuatro fragmentos escultóricos en mármol almacenados en el Museo Arqueológico y en el Museo de Bellas Artes de Córdoba que pertenecen a la misma escultura. El trabajo de investigación se ha enfocado por una parte sobre la digitalización 3D de los fragmentos a través de levantamiento fotogramétrico, sobre la restauración virtual y el ensamblaje virtual de los mismos. Por otra parte, la investigación se ha centrado sobre el análisis estilístico, la técnica escultórica y una hipótesis de identificación del personaje representado en la escultura.