• r2-104-10
    View of broken fingers. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)
  • r2-104-20
    Overview of fragment. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)

Fragment of Left Hand

Date
2nd C. AD, Roman
Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
S61.027.12
Material
Marble, Stone
Object Type
Sculpture
Sculpture Type
Human Figure, Colossal Imperial Portrait, Portrait
Site
Sardis
Sector
AT
Trench
Church M
Findspot
Findspot unknown.
Description

Fragments Cat. 103, Cat. 104 and Cat. 105 (Figs. 226-228) may belong with Cat. 102 (Figs. 223-225) statue of Zeus.

The bent, hollowed hand suggests that a vertical attribute (scepter?) was loosely held. The upper projection may be the tip of the little finger, the lower of the fourth finger; they would have curved around tip of attribute. Very fine file work in lower hollow of hand, rougher strokes where the attribute would have joined hand.

A comparison with Cat. 82 (Fig. 200) which is almost certainly the hand of Antoninus Pius, white, highly polished, and sophisticated, shows Cat. 104 as a massive, simpler work, consistent with attribution to Hellenistic Zeus.

Condition

Yellowish weathered marble with large crystals.

Broken off at thumb and wrist. Parts of the little and the fourth fingers preserved only at base. Two circular projections broken off in center of hand.

Dimensions
H. 0.39; P.W. 0.32; W. little finger 0.09 by 0.07, fourth finger 0.08 by 0.06; puntelli 0.045 and 0.04.
Comments
See Also
Bibliography
Possibly mentioned in Sardis I, 66, “a hand of the same giant scale” was found near head of Zeus; the thumb referred to in the same passage as having been found with the Zeus head, may belong to this hand but has not been located.
Author
NHR