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| Collection: | | Corinth | | Type: | | Object | | Name: | | T 23 | | Title: | | CUIRASSED GREEK CHASING MOUNTED AMAZON | | Category: | | Miscellaneous | | Category Code: | | T | | Object Number: | | 23 | | Description: | | Cuirassed Greek armed with shield and spear (?) chases mounted Amazon to right. The Greek is nearly identical in position and costume to T-1, left, and obviously is taken from the same pattern book. The differences are slight: the Greek's right and left sleeve borders both show the end of the chitoniskos probably aimed in a different direction, i.e. up across his chest, where a stub of it remains, and toward the Amazon's head. 1 1/2 fingers of his right hand remain on right thigh and appear to be grasping an object. The knob attached to his left chest may be part of a weapon, or the strut for the attachment of it. His gaze was probably directed up towards the Amazon. His shield is smaller in diameter, his thick hand grabs the rim strap. Elsewhere, he is slightly larger than T-1 (waist, hands). The skirt of the cuirass appears shorter, its top border has but a minimum curve, and is not rounded, but irregularly carved. Below the wavy border of the light chitoniskos, the back of the skirt is rendered as an undecorated curve. The front border is slightly undercut, the back not at all. The sandals are of the same type as T-1; his left foot is turned parallel to the plinth rather than oblique. The right breast is chipped, the nipple is rendered on the left. The upper boundary of the thorax is well modelled and projects further on his right than his left; digitations are incised. The figure is unfinished on both sides. The inside of his left elbow is deeply accented, and creates the impression of large biceps. Again we have a spacious composition: the distance between the Greek's head and left border, 0.380m.; between the latter and top border, ca. 0.100m.; while between the horse's head and the right border, we have 0.200 m., between the Amazon's head and top border, 0.070m. The Amazon gallops right, while turning to look back at her pursuer. Her head is broken through center forehead, to right of nose, and through right side of mouth. Left eye bulges; nose is thick and careless, mouth straight and drawn strangely to left side. She wears the usual helmet; only a small part of crest is preserved at top; no dowel remains for plume; brim has no side curl. Entire head is seen in 3/4 back view. No hair is represented. Her back is seen nearly straight-on. Her chitoniskos, summarily treated throughout, is fastened over both shoulders and provides a series of flat, uninteresting folds above. Below the shield, the skirt, which has risen high on her right thigh, curves in a row of uneven folds over her thigh, without outlining or emphasizing her form, and around to the back. Treatment is very sketchy. Her right leg is badly chipped, and is broken at mid-calf, which faces diagonally back. The left leg hangs straight down, limp, in a manner strange for a rider. The latter is roughly finished, as is the whole underside of the horse. Since the whole upperside of the horse is finished, it is likely that the block was meant to be seen from above. Her large peltast, which she wears slung over her back, covers most of her torso. Part of the lower border and right point are missing. Since the Amazon holds the reins close to the head with her right hand, she must be defending herself with her left, but her left is broken, the weapon missing, (no trace of break remains; both probably would have appeared from behind the shield). The horse (or pony?) galloping right resembles a cartoon-strip character, or a merry-go-round, carnival pony, particularly at the head. He stands only 5 hands high, which, since the figures are half-life in scale, is equivalent to 10 hands, which is small for a pony. (average horse = 16 hands; pony = 14.2 hands and lower; 1 hand equals 4 inches). The horse's right profile eye is deepset under bulging brow. The left brow is depicted, but no eye beneath it. His name is an even fringe which stands straight up. The mouth opens, revealing 2 even rows of teeth. The right nostril is carved but the nose bone does not protrude. Only 1 line is modelled down the front of the face, unlike S-568; an extra fold of flesh is rendered above the upper lip. The head is short and narrow compared to the thick neck, which leads to powerful withers, a large part of surface chipped. The left foreleg was lifted high; most of its surface is unfinished. The right foreleg, which is mostly missing, seems to have extended straight forward and rested flat on the plinth. The rear legs are posed as if stopped, one next to the other. The sculptor, in trying to make the left rear leg visible from right or left viewpoint, had roughly worked with the point. The lower part of the inner leg and its hoof are not worked beyond the point stage. A strut for the attachment of the tail is preserved behind the haunches; a curved break on the bottom of the shield reveals its upward curve. The body surface is gently rounded and has little modelling, beyond setting off the central body from either end. Part of the genitals are visible. The upper rear leg is modelled. | | Mythology: | | Amazonomachy | | Material: | | White, fine-grained marble; weathered, black behind Greek on background, and diagonal streaks across torso. | | Condition: | | Fragment. 23 joining fragments. Figures complete except for Greek's head, right arm from above elbow, right leg below knee to foot; Amazon's right leg from knee, horse's right front leg, tail. Restored: Parts of horse's rt. rear leg and lt. front leg. | | Manufacture: | | Background - claw, flat around figures; plinth - point on top, hammer picked in front; reverse - rough picked. | | Dimensions Actual: | | H. of Amazon head to plinth 0.640, H. of Amazon's head 0.120 | | Period: | | 2nd c. A.C. | | Chronology: | | 2nd quarter of 2nd c. A.C. according to Corinth IX p.4-5 | | Bibliography: | | Sturgeon 1977, Corinth IX.2 A 4-1 | | Site: | | Corinth | | City: | | Ancient Corinth | | Country: | | Greece |
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