DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.37251#0104
72
FASTI MODERNI 1.11
II. SARCOPHAGUS OF THE FOUR SEASONS WITH MEDAL-
LION PORTRAIT (pi. 26).
H. .357 m., Br. .383 m., L. 2-04 m. Pentelic marble. Unrestored. The lower
right-hand corner of the lid is lost.
In the centre of the front, medallion in the shape of a cAj^z'zzj' held up
by two Seasons as winged genii. Within the rA^zzy, bust of a woman in
tunic and mantle holding a folded scroll in her 1. hand and touching it
with the two extended fingers of her r. (cf. <5A?Az 77, no. 8). Head much
defaced ; hair concealed under a perruque. Below the rAj^zzy a comic and
a tragic mask back to backd To the r. by the latter reclines a bearded
man with draped lower limbs and a bundle of reeds in his 1. hand ; his r.
arm rests on a vessel from which water is pouring. This figure, symbolic
of the stream of Ocean, is balanced on the 1. by that of Tkrrzz ylTzzAr
represented reclining, in tunic and mantle, and holding in both hands a
cornucopiae filled with flowers and a pine cone in the middle.
The winged genii, personifying the Four Seasons, appear in the
following order from 1. to r. : A, Spring as a hunter, wearing a cloak on
his r. shoulder, holds a hare in his 1. hand and a basket of fruit in his r.;
between his legs a four-petalled flower, symbol of spring; his dog sits by
his r. leg looking up at him. The basket of fruit to r. and the tree laden
with fruit belong to B, Autumn, who like C, Summer, is assimilated to
the winged genii who commonly carry the portrait rA^zz-r on sarcophagi.
B and C wear identical wreaths knotted in front, and long cloaks that
flutter in the wind behind them, and are fastened over the breast with a
large brooch. Behind the r. foot of Summer is a basket full of flowers,
in front of a fruit tree. D, Winter, stands on the extreme r., in trousers
and tunic with a hood covering his head and knotted on the chest. In
his r. hand he holds two ducks head downwards, in his 1. a reed. Below,
between his legs is a bull resting. For the subject cf. on Trzbzyf, no. 4.
On the front face of the lid are animated scenes of love-gods
vintaging: A, on the r. the gathering of the grapes; B, on the 1. the
pressing in the vat. A, The vineyard is represented by four trees (elms?)
forming a sort of yWgvAz supporting the vine branches heavily laden with
grapes. On the 1. a nude wingless boy climbs a ladder held up by a nude
winged boy. At the foot of the tree on the 1., and between the boys, are
two baskets already full. On either side of the tree on the extreme r.
two more winged nude boys stoop forward to pile grapes into a third
basket standing at the foot of the tree. Of these, the boy on the 1. carries
a full basket on his 1. shoulder; the figure of the second boy is lost from
below the shoulders, but his action seems clear. B, A long decorated
vat, apparently of marble, is filled with grapes which two nude wingless
boys are treading, holding each other's hands. The boy to the r. has a
curved stick in his 1. hand, the other a sickle in his r. To the 1. is a
third nude boy, winged, who pours fruit from a basket into the vat.
Behind him is a tall vine from which a fourth nude boy, likewise winged,
is gathering the grapes. On the ground between the legs of the boys are
two full baskets overturned. The wine-pressing scene should be compared
to that on the sarcophagus from Santa Costanza in the Vatican (HelbigS,
* For the significance of the scroll and masks cf. Diitschke, Aay^zzzzzZAz-^is
A/zzzfAzz (1909), p. 191.
FASTI MODERNI 1.11
II. SARCOPHAGUS OF THE FOUR SEASONS WITH MEDAL-
LION PORTRAIT (pi. 26).
H. .357 m., Br. .383 m., L. 2-04 m. Pentelic marble. Unrestored. The lower
right-hand corner of the lid is lost.
In the centre of the front, medallion in the shape of a cAj^z'zzj' held up
by two Seasons as winged genii. Within the rA^zzy, bust of a woman in
tunic and mantle holding a folded scroll in her 1. hand and touching it
with the two extended fingers of her r. (cf. <5A?Az 77, no. 8). Head much
defaced ; hair concealed under a perruque. Below the rAj^zzy a comic and
a tragic mask back to backd To the r. by the latter reclines a bearded
man with draped lower limbs and a bundle of reeds in his 1. hand ; his r.
arm rests on a vessel from which water is pouring. This figure, symbolic
of the stream of Ocean, is balanced on the 1. by that of Tkrrzz ylTzzAr
represented reclining, in tunic and mantle, and holding in both hands a
cornucopiae filled with flowers and a pine cone in the middle.
The winged genii, personifying the Four Seasons, appear in the
following order from 1. to r. : A, Spring as a hunter, wearing a cloak on
his r. shoulder, holds a hare in his 1. hand and a basket of fruit in his r.;
between his legs a four-petalled flower, symbol of spring; his dog sits by
his r. leg looking up at him. The basket of fruit to r. and the tree laden
with fruit belong to B, Autumn, who like C, Summer, is assimilated to
the winged genii who commonly carry the portrait rA^zz-r on sarcophagi.
B and C wear identical wreaths knotted in front, and long cloaks that
flutter in the wind behind them, and are fastened over the breast with a
large brooch. Behind the r. foot of Summer is a basket full of flowers,
in front of a fruit tree. D, Winter, stands on the extreme r., in trousers
and tunic with a hood covering his head and knotted on the chest. In
his r. hand he holds two ducks head downwards, in his 1. a reed. Below,
between his legs is a bull resting. For the subject cf. on Trzbzyf, no. 4.
On the front face of the lid are animated scenes of love-gods
vintaging: A, on the r. the gathering of the grapes; B, on the 1. the
pressing in the vat. A, The vineyard is represented by four trees (elms?)
forming a sort of yWgvAz supporting the vine branches heavily laden with
grapes. On the 1. a nude wingless boy climbs a ladder held up by a nude
winged boy. At the foot of the tree on the 1., and between the boys, are
two baskets already full. On either side of the tree on the extreme r.
two more winged nude boys stoop forward to pile grapes into a third
basket standing at the foot of the tree. Of these, the boy on the 1. carries
a full basket on his 1. shoulder; the figure of the second boy is lost from
below the shoulders, but his action seems clear. B, A long decorated
vat, apparently of marble, is filled with grapes which two nude wingless
boys are treading, holding each other's hands. The boy to the r. has a
curved stick in his 1. hand, the other a sickle in his r. To the 1. is a
third nude boy, winged, who pours fruit from a basket into the vat.
Behind him is a tall vine from which a fourth nude boy, likewise winged,
is gathering the grapes. On the ground between the legs of the boys are
two full baskets overturned. The wine-pressing scene should be compared
to that on the sarcophagus from Santa Costanza in the Vatican (HelbigS,
* For the significance of the scroll and masks cf. Diitschke, Aay^zzzzzZAz-^is
A/zzzfAzz (1909), p. 191.