Sculpture

Female portrait statue Γ9

Front view.

Museum/Current place of storage:	Thebes, Archaeological Museum
Inv. no:	166
Dimensions:
Material:	H. 1,44m., 1,52m (with the plinth).
Findspot:	In 1891 at the site of “Kastro” (i.e. possibly the early byzantine wall that surrounded the ancient city of Thespies; demolished during the excavations conducted by the French Archaeological School of Athens during the 1888-1891 period; for the “Kastro” and the excavation of a building interpreted as a temple of the Muses at the same site see C. Müller, “Les recherches françaises à Thespies et au Val des Muses”, in A. Hurst, A. Schachter eds., La montagne des Muses, Genève 1996, esp. 179, 181, 182 note 41; Β.Α. Robinson, “Mount Helikon and the Valley of the Muses: the production of a sacred space”, JRA 25 [2012], 233, with note 41· Χ. Zoe, Τεμένη Μουσών, υλικά κατάλοιπα και γραπτές μαρτυρίες, Athens 2014 [Ph.D. thesis National and Kapodistrian University of Athens], 13-16).
Original Display Location:	Unknown (it could be equally set up in the city of Thespies, as well as the sanctuary of the Muses located nearby, as the byzantine (Q)castle(Q) of Thespies was built mostly from antiquities transported from the latter; see also I. Leventi, “Ένα άγαλμα Μούσας από τις Θεσπιές στο αρχαιολογικό μουσείο της Θήβας”, in A. Mazarakis-Ainian ed., Αρχαιολογικό έργο Θεσσαλίας και Στερεάς Ελλάδας. Πρακτικά επιστημονικής συνάντησης Βόλος 27.2 – 2.3.2003, Ι, Volos 2003, 773-774).
Date:	Antonine period (?),
Statuary Type (body) :	“Small Herculaneum Woman”.
Mode of Self-Representation (head):
Civic Presence (Social Role Represented):	Unknown.
Inscribed Base:	No.
Author:	Panagiotis Konstantinidis
Added:	2024-04-26
Edited:

Description - Comments:

Put together from two main fragments. The inset head (only the base of the neck is preserved within the insertion cavity) and the left forearm from the elbow are missing (the latter was placed downwards; its wrist is preserved on the left thigh, just above the knee). Smaller breaks and chipping are evident sporadically on the surface of the marble. The female figure is depicted frontal, standing on a circular plinth. The left leg bears the weight of the figure, while the right is carried sideways and slightly backwards. According to the statuary type of the “Small Herculaneum Woman”, the himation tightly covers most of the body, while the right arm, enveloped in the garment, is placed on the chest (its elbow is missing). The statue is erroneously published in R.R.R. Smith ed., Aphrodisias II. Roman Portrait Statuary from Aphrodisias, Mainz am Rhein 2006, 225, cat. no. 108, pl. 83, 1st – 3rd c. CE [J. Lenaghan/R.R.R. Smith], as a - now lost – female portrait statue found during the French excavations in Aphrodisias by P. Gaudin (the same as the female statue {Γ8}).

Bibliography:

S. Reinach, RSGR II.1, Paris 1908, 677, no. 1; A. De Ridder, “Fouilles de Thespies et de l’hiéron des muses de l’Hélicon. Monuments figurés”, BCH 46 (1922), 242-244, no. 49, figs. 21-22; Chr. Karouzos, Το Μουσείον της Θήβας, Athens 1934, 49, no. 166; I. Threpsiadis, “Επανέκθεσις Μουσείου Θηβών, ΑrchΕph 1963 Chronicles, 22; K. Demakopoulou, D. Konsola, Archaeological Museum of Thebes, Athens 1981, 80, no. 166; A. Alexandridis, Die Frauen des römischen Kaiserhauses: eine Untersuchung ihrer bildlichen Darstellung von Livia bis Iulia Domna, Mainz am Rhein 2004, 247, no. 119 (with wrong inv. no.; Antonine period); R.R.R. Smith ed., Aphrodisias II. Roman Portrait Statuary from Aphrodisias, Mainz am Rhein 2006, 225, cat. no. 108, pl. 83 (J. Lenaghan/R.R.R. Smith; 1st - 3rd c. CE; Aphrodisias find); Μ. Bonanno-Aravantinos, “La scultura di età romana nella Beozia: importazioni e produzioni locali”, in Th. Stepahnidou-Tiveriou, P. Karanastasi, D. Damaskos eds., Κλασική παράδοση και νεωτερικά στοιχεία στην πλαστική της ρωμαϊκής Ελλάδας. Πρακτικά διεθνούς συνεδρίου, Θεσσαλονίκη, 7-9 Μαϊου 2009, Athens 2012, 236 (Antonine period).