DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5253#0150
Il8 SCULPTURE IN WESTERN ASIA.
Sargon and Sennacherib. The former, who reigned from 722-705 B.C., set up
in the conquered island a portrait monument of himself, carved in low relief on
a slab of dark stone, and accompanied by peculiar explanatory arrow-head in-
scriptions. This relic of Sargon's power in Cyprus was brought to Germany
by Ross, and may now be seen in the Berlin Museum. The continued inter-
mixture of so many races, as well as the varying political fortunes of the
island, may doubtless, in part, explain the unpleasant mongrel character of
nearly every thing Cypriote, even down to a late date, whether it be in art or
religion.
According to Greek myth, Belos, the Phoenician Baal, conquered the island ;
and at Kition, in Cyprus, by the Shemites called Chittim, his worship seems to
have prevailed. At Amathus were worshipped Astarte and Tammuz, to be-
come in time the Greek Aphrodite and Adonis ; although it was especially at
Paphos that the worship of the Oriental Astarte merged into that of the Greek
Aphrodite. The lion-strangler and sun-god of Phoenician faith, Melkart, be-
came often the Greek Heracles ; and possibly out of the monstrous Moloch
grew some phases of the Zeus and Cronos myths. But out of this tangled
Cypriote mythology, and the accounts by the ancients of the shocking rites
there prevailing, we gain little satisfactory light for an understanding of the
sculptured monuments.
Attention was first drawn to Cypriote sculptures by the German archaeolo-
gist, Ross, who about 1840 brought to Berlin many figures and heads in terra-
cotta and stone, collected in a hasty trip through the island, and like those
afterwards discovered on different sites, or otherwise collected in great num-
bers by the British consul Lang and the brothers Cesnola. Unfortunately no
exact records of the discovery of the remains now in New York appear to
have been kept; what was found in temple and tomb not having been held
scrupulously apart, nor the localities accurately given. Restorations, carried
cut at different times, have increased the confusion already existing, and ren-
dered still more difficult a correct judgment of the majority of these monu-
ments. li0:x
The lack of a suitable material in which to express plastic forms, doubtless
affected seriously the art of the island, adding its share to the difficulties of
race, etc., with which the provincial school had to contend. Marble, so admir-
ably fitted for sculpture, is not found on the island, the few marbles discovered
doubtless having been imported. The coarse, soft limestone which abounds is
of so crumbling a grain as to be unsuited for fine carving ; and its porousness
makes it a ready prey to moisture and breakage. In consequence, the surface
of statues is rarely found well finished or uninjured. To this inferior character
of the stone may doubtless also be attributed much of the stiffness, and lack of
motion, prevalent in Cypriote statuary, even when belonging to an advanced
age. Traces of color are found on many of these remains ; but, as in the ma-
Sargon and Sennacherib. The former, who reigned from 722-705 B.C., set up
in the conquered island a portrait monument of himself, carved in low relief on
a slab of dark stone, and accompanied by peculiar explanatory arrow-head in-
scriptions. This relic of Sargon's power in Cyprus was brought to Germany
by Ross, and may now be seen in the Berlin Museum. The continued inter-
mixture of so many races, as well as the varying political fortunes of the
island, may doubtless, in part, explain the unpleasant mongrel character of
nearly every thing Cypriote, even down to a late date, whether it be in art or
religion.
According to Greek myth, Belos, the Phoenician Baal, conquered the island ;
and at Kition, in Cyprus, by the Shemites called Chittim, his worship seems to
have prevailed. At Amathus were worshipped Astarte and Tammuz, to be-
come in time the Greek Aphrodite and Adonis ; although it was especially at
Paphos that the worship of the Oriental Astarte merged into that of the Greek
Aphrodite. The lion-strangler and sun-god of Phoenician faith, Melkart, be-
came often the Greek Heracles ; and possibly out of the monstrous Moloch
grew some phases of the Zeus and Cronos myths. But out of this tangled
Cypriote mythology, and the accounts by the ancients of the shocking rites
there prevailing, we gain little satisfactory light for an understanding of the
sculptured monuments.
Attention was first drawn to Cypriote sculptures by the German archaeolo-
gist, Ross, who about 1840 brought to Berlin many figures and heads in terra-
cotta and stone, collected in a hasty trip through the island, and like those
afterwards discovered on different sites, or otherwise collected in great num-
bers by the British consul Lang and the brothers Cesnola. Unfortunately no
exact records of the discovery of the remains now in New York appear to
have been kept; what was found in temple and tomb not having been held
scrupulously apart, nor the localities accurately given. Restorations, carried
cut at different times, have increased the confusion already existing, and ren-
dered still more difficult a correct judgment of the majority of these monu-
ments. li0:x
The lack of a suitable material in which to express plastic forms, doubtless
affected seriously the art of the island, adding its share to the difficulties of
race, etc., with which the provincial school had to contend. Marble, so admir-
ably fitted for sculpture, is not found on the island, the few marbles discovered
doubtless having been imported. The coarse, soft limestone which abounds is
of so crumbling a grain as to be unsuited for fine carving ; and its porousness
makes it a ready prey to moisture and breakage. In consequence, the surface
of statues is rarely found well finished or uninjured. To this inferior character
of the stone may doubtless also be attributed much of the stiffness, and lack of
motion, prevalent in Cypriote statuary, even when belonging to an advanced
age. Traces of color are found on many of these remains ; but, as in the ma-