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‘Melian Reliefs’ in the collection of the British School at Athens

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2013

Florian Stilp
Florian Stilp
Affiliation:
Archäologisches Institut, Universität Freiburg im Breisgau
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Abstract

In the collection of the Museum of the British School at Athens two specimens of the so-called ‘Melian Reliefs’ have been discovered. Sphinxes are already known in this class of reliefs, but these two furnish a new iconographical type: the isolated crouching sphinx. A similar type is very well attested among the widespread Corinthian terracotta-reliefs which are, however, clearly to be distinguished from our ‘Melian’ class.

At an iconographical level, a short study related to the gender of Greek sphinxes is able to demonstrate that male sphinxes were not foreign to Greek perception. The two new female sphinxes presented here furnish the first examples of sickle-shaped wings known within the class of ‘Melian Reliefs’.

Type
Articles
Information
Annual of the British School at Athens , Volume 98 , November 2003 , pp. 437 - 446
Copyright
Copyright © The Council, British School at Athens 2003

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References

1 Athens, British School, Museum Inv. Nos. T 127 and T 128; I wish to express my gratitude to the archivist A. Kakissis for her help and to R. Sweetman and D. Blackman for their generosity, which made possible the study and present publication of the objects. I further wish to thank Dr C. Mee, for enabling this article to be published in the present volume of the Annual. My special thanks go to M. Steinhart who had the kindness to read a draft of this paper and made very valuable remarks.

In the text, the following abbreviations will be used:

Jacobsthal = Jacobsthal, P., Die Melischen Reliefs (Berlin, 1931)Google Scholar.

LIMC Sphinx = Kourou, N., Komvou, M., Raftopoulou, S., Krauskopf, I. and Katakis, S. E., LIMC viii (Zurich, 1997), 1149–74Google Scholar, s. v. Sphinx.

Bosana-Kourou's, P. study, ‘The Sphinx in Early Archaic Greek Art’ (Oxford D. Phil. Diss., 1979)Google Scholar was unfortunately not accessible to me.

For the definition of colours (clay and paint) we refer to the Munsell Soil Color Charts and, additionally, to the CEC chart; the description of clay inclusions relates to the charts published by Sanders, G. D. R., ‘Appendix 2. Fabrics’, Hesp. 68 (1999), 477–8Google Scholar.

2 See below; besides one type of a standing sphinx (Jacobsthal nos. 55–8; cf. FIG. 5), ‘Melian Reliefs’ show the theme of a sphinx carrying off a youth in three different versions (Jacobsthal nos. 7–9, 85; cf. FIG. 4).

3 On No. T 127 this remark is only inscribed on the back of the relief, whereas No. T 128 shows it additionally on the hindquarters of the sphinx on the obverse.

4 For a relief recently found in context, see Peppa-Papaïoannou, I., ‘Un relief de type mélien trouvé à Trézène’, BCH 125 (2001), 109–31CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

5 Inv. No. T 127; L. (max.) 10.52 cm; Th. 0.46–1.07 cm; H. (reconstr.) c. 11 cm; weathered with brown incrustation; very pale brown clay (10 YR 7/4; C 8) with grey core (N 6/); inclusions: few mica (less than 0.1 mm), few angular black inclusions (−0.125 mm).

6 Corresponding to Munsell 5 R 6/8.

7 Process already identified by Richter, G. M. A., ‘A new Melian relief’, BMMA 27 (1932), 45 Google Scholar with n. 10; Jacobsthal's suggestion (p. 102) that these marks had been produced by a wooden stick moved partially in rotary motion over the surface of the back must be dismissed; my own experiments can clearly demonstrate the use of a string. In the present case, the worker pulled the string from the top of the relief to the base.

8 See Jacobsthal e.g. nos. 7–8.

9 Cf. e.g. LIMC Sphinx, 1164; Müller, P., Löwen und Mischwesen in der archaischen griechischen Kunst (Zurich, 1978), 58, 62 Google Scholar: Müller avoids attributing a sex to the entire creature and thus talks only of a winged lion with female or male head; Schauenburg, K., ‘Bärtige Sphinx aus Apulien’, in Descæudres, J.-P. (ed.), Eumousia: Ceramic and Iconographic Studies in Honour of A. Cambitoglou (Sydney, 1990), 238–9Google Scholar with pl. 46.

10 Cf. LIMC Sphinx, 1150.

11 LIMC Sphinx, 1163–4 and nos. 123–8 (helmeted) and nos. 129–34 (bearded); cf. nos. 303–4 for bearded Roman sphinxes.

12 M. Steinhart, ‘Olpenfragment des Malers von Vatikan 73’, in E. Simon, ‘Nachrichten aus dem Martin-von-Wagner-Museum der Universität Würzburg’, AA 1994, 14 with nn. 39 and 40.

13 Cf. Krauskopf, I. and Dahlinger, St.-Chr., LIMC iv (Zurich, 1988), 285–330 Google Scholar, s.v. Gorgo, Gorgones: e.g. nos. 16, 37, 235, 283, 293, 313; see also for this phenomenon: Jameson, M. H., ‘Perseus, the Hero of Mykenai’, in Hägg, R. and Nordquist, G. C. (eds), Celebrations of Death and Divinity in the Bronze Age Argolid: Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium at the Swedish Institute at Athens, 11–13 1988 (Stockholm, 1990), 217 Google Scholar.

14 Allard Pierson Museum Inv. No. 6242; cf. Brijder, H. A. G., ‘Attic Black Figure cups in Amsterdam and an exchange with Heidelberg’, BA Besch. 50 (1975), 157–60Google Scholar figs. 1–5; more recently id., Siana Cups III (Amsterdam, 2000), 615–17; dated “mid-sixth century BC or slightly earlier”; cf. also Moret, J.-M., Œdipe, la Sphinx et les Thébains (Geneva, 1984), 11 pl. 3. 2Google Scholar.

15 Berlin, Staatliche Museen Inv. No. 1614; cf. Blümel, C., Die archaisch griechischen Skulpturen der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin (Berlin, 1963), 60–1Google Scholar pls. 186–92.

16 Oxford, private collection; cf. Boardman, J., ‘A Sam Wide group cup in Oxford’, JHS 90 (1970), 194–5CrossRefGoogle Scholar pl. 2. 1–2; cf. also Moret (n. 14), 144–6 pl. 96. 1 and Krauskopf, I., LIMC vii (Zurich, 1994), 8, 12 Google Scholar no. 69, s.v. Oidipous.

17 Vatican, Museo Gregoriano Inv. No. 231; cf. Ducati, P., Pontische Vasen (Berlin, 1932), 7 Google Scholar pl. 8 a and Dümmler, F., ‘Ueber eine Classe griechischer Vasen mit schwarzen Figuren’, Röm. Mitt. 2 (1887), 172–3, 182, pl. 9Google Scholar; see further LIMC Sphinx no. 248 for the example of an Etruscan architectural terracotta sphinx with male genitals; for other male sphinxes, cf. Ilberg, J., in Roscher, W. H., Ausführliches Lexikon der griechischen und römischen Mythologie iv (Leipzig, 1909–1915)Google Scholar, col. 1357, s. v. Sphinx.

18 Cf. the famous sphinx found on Aegina which shows female pudenda but no teats or breasts: LIMC Sphinx no. 58. For sphinxes without teats or breasts and without genitals, see e.g. Richter, G. M. A., The Archaic Gravestones of Attica (London, 1961)Google Scholar, e.g. figs. 40, 113, 119.

19 In LIMC Sphinx, 1163–4 it has been stated erroneously that “Animal breasts do not appear before the Roman period” (conclusion made despite the clear evidence of LIMC Sphinx no. 57); on the contrary, apart from LIMC Sphinx no. 57, note the 5th-century images of sphinxes with teats: e.g. Jacobsthal nos. 7–9, 55 (cf. FIG. 5); further Krauskopf (n. 16), 6–7 no. 53, s. v. Oidipous, and as well as our second specimen. There is the parallel type which fits the sphinx not with teats on the belly but with human breasts on the chest, cf. LIMC Sphinx nos. 49, 102, 106. In general, in LIMC Sphinx, 1163–4 there seems to be a confusion, due to the lack of any definition, between teats (called ‘animal breasts’) and human breasts: so the teats on the belly of LIMC Sphinx no. 14 (cf. FIG. 5) have strangely been declared as being ‘human breasts’; the main difference between teats and human breasts does not lie, in our context, in morphology but in the anatomical display: human breasts are placed on the chest and teats on the belly (cf. Roman examples for teats, sometimes even combined with human breasts, e.g. LIMC Sphinx nos. 280–1, 293, 306).

20 It is further of doubtful legitimacy to declare that the bearded sphinx published by Schauenburg (n. 9) is a kind of curiosity which was only produced ‘in peripheral workshops’, and that this type was ‘normally out of use’: LIMC Sphinx, 1164.

21 Cf. e.g. Richter (n. 18), e.g. figs. 41, 114.

22 See Jacobsthal e.g. nos. 8, 13, 16, 53, 62, 84 and FIGS. 4 and 5.

23 Berlin, Staatliche Museen, Antikensammlung Inv. No. TC 3531; FIG. 5 is a reproduction after Jacobsthal no. 55 pl. 26.

24 Taking into account the proximity of the wing to the head, the latter surely was not displayed looking back, cf. for this motif e.g. LIMC Sphinx nos. 34–5, 96.

25 Standing ‘Melian’ sphinxes wear the polos, cf. FIG. 5.

26 Inv. No. T 128; two joined fragments; L. (max) 7.01 cm; Th. 0.34–0.76 cm; H. (reconstr.) c. 10 cm; wing and chest particularily weathered; yellow-red clay (5 YR 6/6–10 YR 7/4; D 10–c 8); inclusions: few mica (< 0.1 mm), few angular black inclusions (−0.1 mm), rare angular red inclusions (−0.1 mm).

27 Corresponding to Munsell 5 R 5/8.

28 As so far we do not know an example of a sphinx with teats (or human breasts) and at the same time with a bearded head, it appears to be highly probable that our sphinx is ‘purely’ female.

29 See LIMC Sphinx, 1150 for the literary sources on the option of a canine body for sphinxes; for the famous epigram on a stele base from Thessaly, refering to the sphinx as the ‘dog of Hades’, see CEG I 66 no. 120. For crouching canine sphinxes, see e.g. Richter (n. 18), e.g. figs. 34–7, 119–22. For crouching dogs, see e.g. Woysch-Meautis, D., La Representation des animaux et des étres fabuleux sur les monuments funéraires grecs (Lausanne, 1982)Google Scholar, e.g. pl. 39 no. 262, pl. 40 no. 269, pl. 41 no. 277, pl. 47 no. 304.

30 Cf. below, the Corinthian sphinxes.

31 See above and passim.

32 Cf. Jacobsthal nos. 7–9, 85.

33 See further Jacobsthal, nos. 7–8 pl. 5. For the versions in vase-painting, see e.g. LIMC Sphinx nos. 178, 181.

34 On vases, however, even this basic type can be combined with victims lying underneath, cf. e.g. LIMC Sphinx nos. 168, 175. But a technical reason seems to argue clearly for an isolated character for both of our pieces: the outlines of the hind legs of both sphinxes do not show any break, so the hind legs surely never ‘overlapped’ with the body of a captive youth. The completely cut-out oudine of both sphinxes indicates furthermore that our sphinxes cannot be imagined as part of a scene with Oedipus sitting in front of the sphinx, cf. Moret (n. 14), 56 pl. 51. 2 and Krauskopf (n. 16), 4 no. 20.

35 Opting for a Corinthian origin: Jenkins, R. J. H., ‘Terracottas’, in Payne, H., Perachora: The Sanctuary of Hera Akraia and Limenia I (Oxford, 1940), 234 Google Scholar no. 194 (based on style); Stillwell, A. N., The Potters' Quarter: The Terracottas. Corinth XV, II (Princeton, 1952), 154, 159 Google Scholar (based on clay); cf. Higgins, R. A., Catalogue of the Terracottas in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum I (London, 1954), 240–1, 250 Google Scholar no. 917 pl. 132.

36 The ‘Corinthian Group’ will also be treated in detail in my forthcoming study on ‘Melian Reliefs’; among reasons for the separation of this group are different but very homogenous treatment of the back; colours, except in rare cases, applied directly on the clay; existence of various variants and versions; relatively high level of production.

37 Athens, National Museum Inv. No. 5911; FIG. 3 is a reproduction after Jacobsthal pl. 66 b.

38 For an impression of the (always identical) type, see the reliefs illustrated by Stillwell (n. 35), pls. 33–5.

39 But they are not to be interpreted as an exclusively ‘canine species’: cf. my forthcoming study.

40 Cf. to this e.g. LIMC Sphinx no. 55.

41 LIMC Sphinx no. 24; for isolated crouching sphinxes, cf. nos. 22–60; see also Woysch-Méautis (n. 29), nos. 363, 367–9 pl. 61.

42 Cf. e.g. LIMC Sphinx nos. 272–3, 277.

43 See Stillwell (n. 35), 159.

44 The questions on these ‘Corinthian’ matters are treated in my forthcoming study.

45 See Jacobsthal e.g. nos. 13, 16, 53, 62, 84.

46 See Jacobsthal e.g. nos. 14, 19, 82, 84 (for leonine beings) and nos. 24, 27, 59, 60, 97, 103 (for dogs).

47 Athens, National Museum Inv. No. 4195; FIG. 4 is a reproduction after Jacobsthal no. 85 pl. 46.

48 Jacobsthal 125, 174; his chronology and groups are the subject of close examination in my forthcoming study on the class of ‘Melian Reliefs’.

49 Ibid.

50 London, British Museum Inv. Nos. 1842.7–28.1126 and 1842.7–28.1125; see Jacobsthal nos. 7–8 pl. 5; Higgins (n. 35) nos. 612–13 pl. 79.

51 Cf. n. 23.

52 The question of where the ‘Melian Reliefs’ were produced will be treated in my forthcoming study.