FUNERARY SCULPTURESOME EXAMPLES

IMPORTANT TERMS Stelai: plural form of ‘funeral sculpture’

Stele: singular form

Kouros: male version of archaic sculpture

Volute: a spiral, scroll-like ornament (common in Ionic order)

Finial: an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.

Strigil: scraper used to remove dirt and sweat from skin

Epitaph: a phrase or form of words written in memory of a person who has died, especially as an inscription on a tombstone

Dexiosis: a handshake between the deceased and living family members

Moschophoros, or Calf-bearerArchaic,570 – 560 BCE• Acropolis Museum, Athens – excavated from the Acropolis• Original sculpture• Mature male figured, nudity somewhat obscured by a cloak.

Seems to represent the dedicator himself, who is named on the base as Rhonbos.

• Pose essentially kouros – individuality: beard, cloak and calf.• Symbolic representation of the man – not a literal portrait.

Tradition.• Tentatively linked to sculptor Phaidimos.• Around the time of Solon’s reforms that promoted the roles of

artisans.• Inscription reads: “Rhonbos, son of Palos, dedicated it.”

Sphinx from SpataArchaic, 570 BCE

• Featured on top of a grave monument.• Sphinx = In Greek tradition, it has the head of a

human, the haunches of a lion, and sometimes the wings of a bird.

• Guardians of the dead.

Kroisos of AnavyssosArchaic, 530 – 520 BCE

• In National Archaeological Museum, Athens.• Separated fragments – reconstructed with plaster• Traditional kouros pose• Used as grave marker• Traces of red colour in his hair, irises and pubic hair

Archaic525 BCE• From a pair of volutes• Great delicate detail• Crowning element missing – likely

a sphinx• Discovery of these two pieces

close together raises possibility they both belonged to the same stele

Classical, 450 – 440 BCE

Eupheros SteleClassical, 420 – 410 BCE

• Eupheros Stele, found in the Kerameikos in 1964 along with a wooden sarcophagus and intact skeleton (supposedly of a 9 – 10 year old child)

• Paint remnants. – surface painted blue, with a red base.

• Suggested Kritio Boy sculptor.• Athlete holding strigil. Speaks of his strength,

ability and honour as a young Greek but also to his citizenship.

• Ideals of a democratic citizen.

Stele of Mnesagora andNikocharesClassical, 420 – 410 BCE

• National Archaeological Museum, Athens.• Image of a deceased young girl and boy. Thought

to be brother and sister.• Holding a bird out to her brother. Boy is

proportionately large, perhaps to show that the girl is also small/young.

• Inscription on top.

Grave Stele of HegesoClassical, 410 – 400 BCE

• National Archaeological Museum, Athens.• Most likely from Kerameikos, Athens.• Hegeso seated with servant. Servant is most

showing Hegeso a box, out of which she is examining something• Precious possession in life?

• Attributed to sculptor Kallimachos.• Restored on the edges• Above inscription: “Hegeso, daughter of Proxenos”

Grave Stele of HedylosClassical,400 – 390 BCE

• Standing youth holding a bird.

• Small monument, just under a metre tall.

• Traces of red paint on background of image.

• Inscription reads: ‘Hedylos, son of Philokles of Prospalta.’

Grave Monument ofAmphareteClassical, 400 – 375 BCE

• Well-known grave monument found in Kerameikos.

• Shows a seated woman holding a baby. • Rare inscription that sheds light on the meaning

of the scene: My daughter’s beloved child is the one I hold here, the one that I hold on my lap while we looked at the light of the sun when we were alive and that I still hold, now that we are both dead.

Late Classical, 360 BCE

• No inscriptions because framing is missing.• Both figures on the right stare off into space and

the figure on the left looks down at them as if she is invisible. Do they mourn their daughter? Does she mourn her dead father? Or is she the sole survivor?

• Intense though restrained feeling of family unity. Touching of figures shows intimacy/family.

Stele of LysistrateClassical,350 – 325 BCE

• Inscription: Lysistrate Panathenais.• Example of Handshake.

TASK You have some choices of small research tasks to complete for the rest of the lesson. Work through them in your order of interest.

1. Research the significance of birds in ancient Greek funerary sculpture

2. Research the significance of the handshake in ancient Greek funerary sculpture

3. Research detailed examples of inscriptions such as feature on the Grave Monument of Ampharete

4. Research depictions of family in ancient Greek funerary sculpture and their significance

5. Research the formulas for epitaphs and the significance of why they were written in such formula

6. See if you can find examples of other common motifs in Greek funerary sculpture

MAKE NOTES – I will ask for people to share their findings at the end of the lesson.