Pistolesi, Erasmo: Antiquities of Herculaneum and Pompeii: being a selection of all the most interesting ornaments and relics which have been excavated from the earliest period to the present rime... (Vol. 1) (Naples: Royal Press, 1842)

In una villa di Ercolano presso la
pubblica piazza del teatro et del tempio
d’Èrcole, furon trovate nel 1754 le statue
di danzatrici, importanti per l’erudi-
zione, quantunque non vengano repu-
tate di gran pregio nell’ arte. La prima
che qui si presenta è la più interessante
fra tutte.
A sentimento concorde de’ più valenti
antiquari, rappresenta questa una dan-
zatrice. A crederla tale, ne ha indotto il
vedere che la statua (del pari che un al-
tra) è dell tutto a piè nudi, ricoperta con
tunica alta alia danza, ed ha il crine
cinto da una zona intarsiala di argento,
che Omero assegna alle donzelle sal-
tanti, detta tenia. I capelli sono divisi
nel mezzo della fronte, e formano vaghe
inannellature ; in fatti gli antichi usa-
vano un islromento per arraffare i ca-
pelli, detto calamistrum.
In atto di affibbiarsi l’abito sulla
spalla destra, che coll’ intero braccio si
presenta nuda fin sopra le coste, vedesi
la danzatrice nella più semplice attitu-
dine. Può senza tema assicurarsi che
quest’abito, da cui è ricoperta, sia quello
detto dai Latini Tunicop allium, o Tunica
Palliolata, da Greci poi Sistide. In fatti
sappiamo che le donne assettavano sopra
del primo abito un’ altra veste esterio-
re, che chiamavano palla, o peplus, e
quindi tunicae pallium. Il Tunicopal-
lium de’ Latini era composto di tunica e
di manto nel medissimo tempo, simile
alla Sislide de’ Greci.

* Statua di bronzo alta Opalini.

Dans une villa d’Herculanum, près de
la place publique du théâtre et du tem-
pie d’Hercule, on découvrit, en 1754,
des statues de danseuses dignes de l’at-
tention des artistes, plutôt sous le rap-
port historique que sous celui de l’art.
Celle qui fait le sujet de cette description
est la plus remarquable. Nous disons que
ces statues représentent des danseuses,
parce que telle est l’opinion des plus sa-
vants antiquaires, et que, d’ailleurs, sans
recourir à la science, on ne saurait en
douter, en voyant seulement celte statue
et toutes celles du même genre. Elle est
entièrement couverte d’une robe qui va
jusqu’à terre, vêtement caractéristique
de la danse ; et de plus, une bandelette
d’argent lui entoure la tête et presse sa
chevelure, ornement qu’Homère désigne
sous le nom île Tœnia, en l’attribuant
exclusivement aux danseuses. Les che-
veux, séparés au milieu du front, tom-
bent, partie en anneaux sur les tempes,
partie en bouches ondoyantes sur le
cou. La danseuse élève les bras pour
agrafer sa tunique au-dessus de l’épaule
gauche; c’est une posture très simple et
en même temps fort heureuse ; car elle
a guidé les recherches des antiquaires
sur la nature et la composition de son vê-
tement; on croit qu’il n’est autre que le
Tunicopal Hum, ou la Tunica Palliolata
des Romains. En effet, les dames, à Rome,
portaient une robe appelée Tunica, à
laquelle s’adaptait une espèce de mante-
let, Palla ou Paplus; de là l’expression
d’Iïorace, dans une de ses satyres, Tu-
nicopallium, tunique munie de son man-
telet. Ces deux portions d’habillement se
distinguent fort bien, grâce à l’élévation
des bras qui laissent à découvert une
partie du sein. Les Grecs en avaient un
semblable sous le nom de Sistide.

" Statue en bronze, haute de 1 mètre 94 centi-
mètres.


In 1754, in a villa at Herculaneum,
near the public square of the theatre
and the temple of Hercules, were disco-
vered several statues of dancers, more
particularly worthy the attention of ar-
tists, with regard to history, than with
respect to the arts. That which forms
the subject of this description is the
most remarkable. We say that those sta-
tues represent dancers, because such is
the opinion of the most learned antiqua-
ries besides, without having recourse to
science, there can remain no doubt, if
we observe attentively this figure, and
all those of the same kind. The robe
with which it is entirely covered, and
which descends to the ground, is a gar-
ment that characterized a dancer, and
moreover a band of silver encircles her
head, and confines her hair, an orna-
ment that Homer designed by the name
of Tœnia, and attributed exclusively to
persons of that profession. A part of her
hair, which is separatedin front, fails in
curls on her temples, and the rest in wa-
ving curls on her neck. She raises her
arms to clasp her tunic on the left shoul-
der ; this simple posture has served to
guide antiquaries in their researches,
as to the nature of her dress. It is suppo-
sed to be the Tunicopallium or Tunica
Palliolata of the Romans, the ladies of
Rome having worn a dress called tunica,
to which was added a sort of mantelet
named Palla or Paplus. From whence the
expression of Horace in one of his sati-
res, Tunicœ Pallium Tunic accompanied
with its mantelet. These two portions of
the dress are clearly distinguished, by
the elevation of the ai ms, which disco-
vers a part of the breast. The sistide of
the Greeks was a garment which resem-
bled that here described.

* A statue in bronze height 6 palms.


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