• r2-112-10
    Amazon (?) legs, frontal view. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)

Amazon (?) Legs

Date
Late Hellenistic or early Roman, possibly Hadrianic, Hellenistic or Roman
Museum
Manisa, Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum, MANISA
Museum Inventory No.
MANISA
Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
NoEx68.019
Material
Marble, Stone
Object Type
Sculpture
Sculpture Type
Mythological Figure, Draped Woman, Human Figure
Site
Sardis
Findspot
Said to come from region of Bldg. A.
Description

The skirt consists of three central vertical folds (two wide, one narrow), vertical folds also at each side, and gracefully falling shallow arched folds over the fronts of the thighs. This arrangement of the skirt suggests that our figure is an Amazon. The r. knee, which is very accurately modeled, seems to be that of a female.

The horizontal break on the top surface is original, as it has been carefully and smoothly finished with a small chisel. A drill may have been used in the hollows, but characteristic markings have been carefully chiseled away. Evidence of a fine rasp remains over most of the surface.

The modeling and surface treatment preserve the sense of weight of the garment and have a distinctly Eastern flavor. The figure represented might be an Amazon or huntress, or possibly even a general, though the evidence of folds suggests an Amazon.

The workmanship seems to be late Hellenistic or an early Roman copyist’s work; or possibly even a Hadrianic rather than an Augustan copy.

Condition

Grayish white marble, medium crystals.

Lower part of skirt and knees only are preserved. Back of figure cut away. Legs broken off just below the knees. Back of r. leg, and front of l. leg missing. Crusty deposits on back of l. leg and part of r. one. Top surface worked to a fine plane, with remains of square dowel hole (now filled with cement), used to piece the statue to missing upper part. Traces of red paint, especially in crevice of fold along figure’s l. leg.

Dimensions
H. 0.38; H. of drapery 0.18; W. 0.495; D. 0.26; dowel hole 0.075 by 0.075, D. unascertained.
Comments
For an Amazon with the same arrangement cf. García y Bellido, Esculturas Romanas, no. 183, p. 168, pl. 138.
See Also
Bibliography
Author
NHR