DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2533#0086
50 THE TEKKA-COTTA RELIEFS
former. When it is carefully examined, .the traces of a very short wavy chiton can be
discovered, at a slight distance below the waist. Female figures in archaic art are never
represented, as far as we know, in a chiton of such shortness. Though there are many
points of difference, a comparison of this plaque with the bronze relief from the Acro-
polis1 induces us to believe that our figure is male.
The thighs are large in proportion to the body, with careful modeling of the muscles,
especially about the knee. The nates are small in proportion to the thighs, a peculiarity
seen also on the Selinus Metope of Heracles and the Cercopes. The legs from the knee
downwards are extremely thin, similar to those of the Tenean Apollo. In fact, our relief
seems to afford a mixture of the exaggerated muscularity of the Selinus Metope and the
slimness of the Tenean Apollo.
The attitude of the figure is not necessarily that of one walking, but is due rather to
the inability of the artist to represent the legs and feet from the front. What the hands
hold is clearly not a wreath, but a conventionalized flower or branch. This forms part
of the action itself, since each hand holds an end of the ornament, and it thus becomes a
sort of contaminatio of a plant and scroll ornamenting - the background, introduced at
the same time into the action of the figure itself. This action is, in reality, a reminis-
cence of the well-known " Thierbandigerschema," 2 of which the Persian Artemis,3 falsely
so called, is a good example. The winged figure in this connection was one of the types
adopted by the Greeks, and was remodeled to suit their own peculiar needs, since, though
the Hellenic character of the Persian Artemis is now established, no one denies that the
original type wras a foreign importation. The addition of the wings seems to be a fea-
ture of the later archaic art,4 since they are certainly unknown as attributes of the human
figure in Mycenaean or Geometric art, nor do we find them on the " Island Stones."5
The mythological significance of the relief, if such it has, is not clear to us. We can
only say that it is a winged figure treated in an ornamental manner. We use the term
" ornamental" advisedly, with a more literal signification than is generally given; for
one of the most peculiar and striking features of this representation is the action of the
figure. The winged " genius " is holding in both hands a mere ornament, a decorative
design, which certainly is no implement of use, nor has it any special significance. But
the use made of it here is quite distinctive and original. It is as if the decorative feeling
of the modeler of the plaque had been so strong that it obtruded itself into his represen-
tation of a human figure, becoming an integral part of the attitude and action, at the
expense of the logic of representation, as far as the human figure itself is concerned.
This introduction of the ornament seems to point to two customs in the decoration or
framing of scenes and representations of figures on vases, bronzes, terra-cottas, etc.;
namely, the continuous scroll or other ornament bordering these scenes, as with a frame,
and the introduction of ornaments into the field or background, which the Germans have
called " Fullornamente." Such framing bands and " Fullornamente " are the composite
motives which appear to have led the artist to introduce this new form of ornament into
the field of this relief.
We have had occasion to cite the " Persian Artemis " as an analogy to our figure. A
direct repetition of the motive of our plaque may be found on a bronze plaque from
1 J. II. S. 1893, p. 259, fig. 26 (Bather). 'Etf>. 'Apx- 1891, pp. 34 f. Cf. Langbelm, Fliigelfiguren,
- E. Curtius, Gesammelte Abhandlungen, II. pp. 110 ff. etc.
('Wappengebrauch unci Wappenstil im Aitertlmm'). 6 We have just heard from Mr. Hogarth that winged
8 Studniczka, Kyrene, p. 155. human figures which he considers to be of 'Mycenaean
4 Milchhofer, Anf&nge der Kunst, p. 86 ; Tsountas, style have recently been discovered by him in Crete.
former. When it is carefully examined, .the traces of a very short wavy chiton can be
discovered, at a slight distance below the waist. Female figures in archaic art are never
represented, as far as we know, in a chiton of such shortness. Though there are many
points of difference, a comparison of this plaque with the bronze relief from the Acro-
polis1 induces us to believe that our figure is male.
The thighs are large in proportion to the body, with careful modeling of the muscles,
especially about the knee. The nates are small in proportion to the thighs, a peculiarity
seen also on the Selinus Metope of Heracles and the Cercopes. The legs from the knee
downwards are extremely thin, similar to those of the Tenean Apollo. In fact, our relief
seems to afford a mixture of the exaggerated muscularity of the Selinus Metope and the
slimness of the Tenean Apollo.
The attitude of the figure is not necessarily that of one walking, but is due rather to
the inability of the artist to represent the legs and feet from the front. What the hands
hold is clearly not a wreath, but a conventionalized flower or branch. This forms part
of the action itself, since each hand holds an end of the ornament, and it thus becomes a
sort of contaminatio of a plant and scroll ornamenting - the background, introduced at
the same time into the action of the figure itself. This action is, in reality, a reminis-
cence of the well-known " Thierbandigerschema," 2 of which the Persian Artemis,3 falsely
so called, is a good example. The winged figure in this connection was one of the types
adopted by the Greeks, and was remodeled to suit their own peculiar needs, since, though
the Hellenic character of the Persian Artemis is now established, no one denies that the
original type wras a foreign importation. The addition of the wings seems to be a fea-
ture of the later archaic art,4 since they are certainly unknown as attributes of the human
figure in Mycenaean or Geometric art, nor do we find them on the " Island Stones."5
The mythological significance of the relief, if such it has, is not clear to us. We can
only say that it is a winged figure treated in an ornamental manner. We use the term
" ornamental" advisedly, with a more literal signification than is generally given; for
one of the most peculiar and striking features of this representation is the action of the
figure. The winged " genius " is holding in both hands a mere ornament, a decorative
design, which certainly is no implement of use, nor has it any special significance. But
the use made of it here is quite distinctive and original. It is as if the decorative feeling
of the modeler of the plaque had been so strong that it obtruded itself into his represen-
tation of a human figure, becoming an integral part of the attitude and action, at the
expense of the logic of representation, as far as the human figure itself is concerned.
This introduction of the ornament seems to point to two customs in the decoration or
framing of scenes and representations of figures on vases, bronzes, terra-cottas, etc.;
namely, the continuous scroll or other ornament bordering these scenes, as with a frame,
and the introduction of ornaments into the field or background, which the Germans have
called " Fullornamente." Such framing bands and " Fullornamente " are the composite
motives which appear to have led the artist to introduce this new form of ornament into
the field of this relief.
We have had occasion to cite the " Persian Artemis " as an analogy to our figure. A
direct repetition of the motive of our plaque may be found on a bronze plaque from
1 J. II. S. 1893, p. 259, fig. 26 (Bather). 'Etf>. 'Apx- 1891, pp. 34 f. Cf. Langbelm, Fliigelfiguren,
- E. Curtius, Gesammelte Abhandlungen, II. pp. 110 ff. etc.
('Wappengebrauch unci Wappenstil im Aitertlmm'). 6 We have just heard from Mr. Hogarth that winged
8 Studniczka, Kyrene, p. 155. human figures which he considers to be of 'Mycenaean
4 Milchhofer, Anf&nge der Kunst, p. 86 ; Tsountas, style have recently been discovered by him in Crete.