Museum/Current place of storage: |
Thebes, Archaeological Museum |
Inv. no: |
164 |
Dimensions: |
|
Material: |
Η. 1m. (without the plinth), 0,08m. (plinth). |
Findspot: |
In 1890 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: |
First half of the second c. CE (principate of Hadrian?). |
Statuary Type (body) : |
Variant of the Muse of the “Athens/Thebes” type. |
Mode of Self-Representation (head): |
- |
Civic Presence (Social Role Represented): |
Unknown. |
Inscribed Base: |
Νο. |
Author: |
Panagiotis Konstantinidis |
Added: |
2024-04-26 |
Edited: |
Description - Comments:
The statue is preserved intact, with the exception of the inset head and arms (the left is broken at about the height of the wrist). Small breaks and chipping are evident sporadically on the surface of the marble. It depicts an under-life-sized female figure standing on a circular plinth wearing a chiton, a peplos tied high below the breasts (a small part of the belt is visible on the front of the chest), a himation and sandals with crossed straps. The drapery of the himation and the overall posture of the body follow the statuary type of the so-called (Q)Muse(Q) of the “Athens/Thebes” type with the exception of the partially unrolled cylindrical mass of drapery placed diagonally across the surface of the chest. Here the drapery is gathered into a wider mass of folds that starts a little lower, from the figure’s waist and is brought diagonally across the surface of the chest – cf. the statue from Milan, Filges 1997, cat. no. 169. The identification of the figure as a portrait is not certain (“dubium”).
Bibliography:
S. Reinach, RSGR II.1, Paris 1908, 676, no. 10; A. De Ridder, “Fouilles de Thespies et de l’hiéron des muses de l’Hélicon. Monuments figures”, BCH 46 (1922), 241 no. 48, pl. 16 (priestess); Chr. Karouzou, Το Μουσείον της Θήβας, Athens 1934, 49-50, no. 164; I. Threpsiadis, “Επανέκθεσις Μουσείου Θηβών”, ArchEph 1963 Chronicles, 22; K. Demakopoulou, D. Konsola, Archaeological Museum of Thebes, Athens 1981, 88, no. 164; M. Bonanno-Aravantinos, “Due ritratti di eta antonina nel Museo archeologico di Τebe”, in J. Bouzek, I. Ondrejova (eds.), Roman Portraits, Artistic and Literary, Acts of the Third International Conference on the Roman Portraits held in Prague and in the Bechině Castle from 25 to 29 September 1989, Mainz 1997, 57, note 9; A. Filges, Standbilder jugendlicher Göttinnen, Köln-Weimar-Wien 1997, 107, 108, 205, 221, 278, cat. no. 172 with fig. (variant of the "Muse" of the “Athens/Thebes” type; principate of Hadrian); M. Bonanno-Aravantinos, “I ritratti di età romana della Beozia: considerazioni preliminary”, in V. Aravantinos ed., Επετηρίς της Εταιρείας Βοιωτικών Μελετών Γ΄. Διεθνές συνέδριο βοιωτικών μελετών, Θήβα 4-8 Σεπτεμβρίου 1996, Athens 2000, 783; V. Aravantinos, Το Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Θηβών, Athens 2010, 347 (right); Μ. Bonanno-Aravantinos, “La scultura di eta romana nella Beozia: importazioni e produzioni locali”, in Th. Stephanidou-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 (Hadrianic); M. Mikedaki, Tabula Imperii Romani: J 34 Athens. Boeotia, Athens 2019, 112 (first half of the 2nd c. CE).