DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12655#0057
INTRODUCTION.
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number of mirrors now known cannot be far short of one thousand, only about
eighty cistae have been found, and only a small proportion of these have
decoration of any consequence. The designs are often of unequal merit, but
the majority appear to belong to the third century B.C. The most beautiful
existing example is the famous Ficoroni cista in the Kircherian Museum at
Rome, which bears on its lid a Latin inscription dating about 200 B.c. One
of the Museum specimens, however (No. 554), must go back to a considerably
earlier period, owing to the very archaic character of its design, which consists
of a frieze of Gorgons in relief. Among the examples with incised designs in
the Museum (Nos. 637-641 and 741-746), unquestionably the finest is No. 638
(Pl. XXXI.), a worthy rival of the Ficoroni cista. The subject represented is the
sacrifice of Trojan prisoners at the pyre of Patroclos ; most of the other cistae
are also decorated with Trojan legends, as, for instance, No. 743 with the sacrifice
of Polyxena, No. 745 with the Judgment of Paris, and No. 746 with Achilles
and Penthesileia.
Three distinct processes appear to have been necessary in the production of
these cistae. In the first place, the bronze plates were cut into squares, and
received their engraved decoration ; the plates were then clipped and bent to a
cylindrical form, the edges soldered and the bottom and cover attached ; and
finally the handles, feet, and a row of rings, with chains suspended from them,
were put on, in some cases partially obscuring the incised designs. Certain
types appear to have found preference for the ornamentation of the handles and
feet; for the former, a group of two men fighting, or of Peleus wrestling with
Atalanta, two warriors carrying a dead body, or even a single figure, such as
Hermes. The feet are invariably in the form of lions’ claws, with a figure of
Eros or a Satyr in relief at the point of attachment to the body. Several
detached bronze figures in the Museum collection afford evidence of having once
formed the handles of cistae, such as Nos. 555, 556, 642, 643, 645, 748 ; others
which have formed the feet of cistae are Nos. 644, 646-649, 749-752.
V. GAULISH AND GRAECO-ROMAN BRONZES.
The next section of the catalogue (Nos. 786-824) is
Gaulish bronzes. devoted to the bronzes found in Gaul, which appear to be for
the most part of Iocal origin, and of which some are of
exceptional interest.
Caesar, at the time of his conquest of Gaul, found there
Art in Gaul and no traces of native art, which was in fact forbidden by the
its influences. religion of the people.* At the same time, the Gauls appear
to have been possessed of great technical skill and industry,
like the other nations of Northern Europe. We have quoted above (p. xxxvi.) a
* His allusions to the Mercurii simulacra (Be/l. Gall. vi. I7)appear to be inaccurate; see Bertrand,
Religion des Gaulois, p. 319.
liii
number of mirrors now known cannot be far short of one thousand, only about
eighty cistae have been found, and only a small proportion of these have
decoration of any consequence. The designs are often of unequal merit, but
the majority appear to belong to the third century B.C. The most beautiful
existing example is the famous Ficoroni cista in the Kircherian Museum at
Rome, which bears on its lid a Latin inscription dating about 200 B.c. One
of the Museum specimens, however (No. 554), must go back to a considerably
earlier period, owing to the very archaic character of its design, which consists
of a frieze of Gorgons in relief. Among the examples with incised designs in
the Museum (Nos. 637-641 and 741-746), unquestionably the finest is No. 638
(Pl. XXXI.), a worthy rival of the Ficoroni cista. The subject represented is the
sacrifice of Trojan prisoners at the pyre of Patroclos ; most of the other cistae
are also decorated with Trojan legends, as, for instance, No. 743 with the sacrifice
of Polyxena, No. 745 with the Judgment of Paris, and No. 746 with Achilles
and Penthesileia.
Three distinct processes appear to have been necessary in the production of
these cistae. In the first place, the bronze plates were cut into squares, and
received their engraved decoration ; the plates were then clipped and bent to a
cylindrical form, the edges soldered and the bottom and cover attached ; and
finally the handles, feet, and a row of rings, with chains suspended from them,
were put on, in some cases partially obscuring the incised designs. Certain
types appear to have found preference for the ornamentation of the handles and
feet; for the former, a group of two men fighting, or of Peleus wrestling with
Atalanta, two warriors carrying a dead body, or even a single figure, such as
Hermes. The feet are invariably in the form of lions’ claws, with a figure of
Eros or a Satyr in relief at the point of attachment to the body. Several
detached bronze figures in the Museum collection afford evidence of having once
formed the handles of cistae, such as Nos. 555, 556, 642, 643, 645, 748 ; others
which have formed the feet of cistae are Nos. 644, 646-649, 749-752.
V. GAULISH AND GRAECO-ROMAN BRONZES.
The next section of the catalogue (Nos. 786-824) is
Gaulish bronzes. devoted to the bronzes found in Gaul, which appear to be for
the most part of Iocal origin, and of which some are of
exceptional interest.
Caesar, at the time of his conquest of Gaul, found there
Art in Gaul and no traces of native art, which was in fact forbidden by the
its influences. religion of the people.* At the same time, the Gauls appear
to have been possessed of great technical skill and industry,
like the other nations of Northern Europe. We have quoted above (p. xxxvi.) a
* His allusions to the Mercurii simulacra (Be/l. Gall. vi. I7)appear to be inaccurate; see Bertrand,
Religion des Gaulois, p. 319.