DOI article:
Buck, Carl Darling: Discoveries in the Attic Deme of Ikaria, 1888
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.8678#0144
STELE OF A WARRIOR FOUND AT IK ARIA.
129
lapping each other in such a manner as to leave freedom of movement
to the wearer, while furnishing complete protection. The short chiton
worn under the armor appears on the shoulder, and about the thighs
below the leather strips. The greaves are of the usual flexible and
tight-fitting form, following the modelling of the muscles of the calf.
The archaic imperfection is illustrated in the ear, which is set too
high and too far back ; in the eye, which is seen as if almost in full
face and does not harmonize witli the position of the head in profile ; in
the hand, the position of the thumb being wholly unnatural with re-
lation to the fingers; in the feet, which rest firmly and flatly on the
ground ; and in the severity of modelling and awkwardness of attitude
in general. The sculptor has evidently been hampered by the narrow
limits of the slab within which he had to work, and, in places, he has
encroached upon the rim which surrounds and frames the relief.
The stele still exhibits abundant traces of coloring, though the bril-
liant coloring which it had when found has now in great measure faded
away. The background was painted red, and the spear also shows
traces of this color; the beard and hair seem to have had a brownish
tinge ; the shoulder-guard is ornamented with a star, and on the piece
below it, of which the ground is red, is the head of an animal, but
the colors can no longer be made out; there are traces of dark blue
upon the helmet and cuirass; of the three decorative bands painted
upon the cuirass, the upper one is a maeander, executed in red, as is
also the tassel which hangs over the breast: the /c/37?7ri? shows signs of
color, and undoubtedly bore an ornamental design.
The comparison between the Aristion stele and that from Ikaria,
which forms the subject of the present article, may be divided under
four heads : first, the dimensions and general arrangement of the space;
second, the sculpture itself; third, the painting; fourth, their com-
parative importance.6
1. Dimensions and arrangement of space.—The total Heights of the
two monuments do not admit of comparison, since we have not the
ftcWpov of /. and also since much more is missing from the top of /. than
from the top of A. But, measuring7 on the relief of A. from the soles
1 For the sake of brevity, the stele of Aristion will be designated as a., the stele of
Ikaria as/. 1
' The stele of Aristion is now inclosed in a glass case which cannot be opened, so
that I was unable to take measurements from it. In giving the general dimensions,
1 have taken the figures of Kabbadias and of Rangabe. The first measurement of
1.55 m. was taken from a cast in the Archaeological Museum at Cambridge, England.
129
lapping each other in such a manner as to leave freedom of movement
to the wearer, while furnishing complete protection. The short chiton
worn under the armor appears on the shoulder, and about the thighs
below the leather strips. The greaves are of the usual flexible and
tight-fitting form, following the modelling of the muscles of the calf.
The archaic imperfection is illustrated in the ear, which is set too
high and too far back ; in the eye, which is seen as if almost in full
face and does not harmonize witli the position of the head in profile ; in
the hand, the position of the thumb being wholly unnatural with re-
lation to the fingers; in the feet, which rest firmly and flatly on the
ground ; and in the severity of modelling and awkwardness of attitude
in general. The sculptor has evidently been hampered by the narrow
limits of the slab within which he had to work, and, in places, he has
encroached upon the rim which surrounds and frames the relief.
The stele still exhibits abundant traces of coloring, though the bril-
liant coloring which it had when found has now in great measure faded
away. The background was painted red, and the spear also shows
traces of this color; the beard and hair seem to have had a brownish
tinge ; the shoulder-guard is ornamented with a star, and on the piece
below it, of which the ground is red, is the head of an animal, but
the colors can no longer be made out; there are traces of dark blue
upon the helmet and cuirass; of the three decorative bands painted
upon the cuirass, the upper one is a maeander, executed in red, as is
also the tassel which hangs over the breast: the /c/37?7ri? shows signs of
color, and undoubtedly bore an ornamental design.
The comparison between the Aristion stele and that from Ikaria,
which forms the subject of the present article, may be divided under
four heads : first, the dimensions and general arrangement of the space;
second, the sculpture itself; third, the painting; fourth, their com-
parative importance.6
1. Dimensions and arrangement of space.—The total Heights of the
two monuments do not admit of comparison, since we have not the
ftcWpov of /. and also since much more is missing from the top of /. than
from the top of A. But, measuring7 on the relief of A. from the soles
1 For the sake of brevity, the stele of Aristion will be designated as a., the stele of
Ikaria as/. 1
' The stele of Aristion is now inclosed in a glass case which cannot be opened, so
that I was unable to take measurements from it. In giving the general dimensions,
1 have taken the figures of Kabbadias and of Rangabe. The first measurement of
1.55 m. was taken from a cast in the Archaeological Museum at Cambridge, England.