Walters, Henry Beauchamp: Catalogue of the bronzes, Greek, Roman, and Etruscan in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum (London, 1899)

GRAECO-ROMAN BRONZES.

149

bronze. It probably dates from the period between Augustus and the
Antonines, but may be derived from an original of the time of Lysippos.

Ht. 6 in. ; with the base, 8-in. Found in 1732 at Pierre-en-Luiset near Huis, in France.
Payne Knight Coll. (lx. 4). Caylus, Recueil, vii. p. 268, pl. 76 ; Spec. Ant. Sculpt. i. pls. 33, 34 ;
Braun, Kunstmytholagie, pl. 96; Clarac, Musee de Sculpt. iv. pl. 666, No. 1515 ; Miiller-
Wieseler, Denkm. d. a. Kunst, ii. pl. 29, fig. 314; Murray, Greek Bronzes (Portfolio, April,
1898), p. 47; Reinach, Repertoire, ii. p. 159, No. 10; Athen. Mittheil. iii. (1878), p. 99;
Michaelis, Ancient Marbles iit Gt. Britain, p. 121 ; Mansell, Brit. Mus. Photographs, No. 872;
Furtwaengler, Meisterwerke, p. 427 (refers the type to Polycleitos); id. English edn. ii. p. 232 ;
Quarterly Review, Jan. 1895, p. 82 (the reviewer points out that the character of the bronze is
Lysippian rather than Polycleitan); Bull. de Corr. Hell. xvi. (1892), p. 167; Boettiger,
Amalthca, iii. p. 415 ; Jalirb. d. Vcreins v. Altertumsfr. im Rheinl. xc. p. 58 ; Vaux, Handbook
to Brit. Mus. p. 426. Of the finding of this bronze and its subsequent history a long account is
given by Payne Knight in his MS. Catalogue (see the Introduction).

826. Boy playing Morra. He stands as if starting back to L, with r. foot
extended, 1. hand raised, and r. behind his back ; his hair is curled at the neck,
and gathered into a broad plait passing over the crown and fastened with a
brooch at each end ; at the back each strand of the plait is separately tied. The
eyes have been inlaid. The fact that he holds up his 1, hand with an animated
gesture while the r. is concealed behind his back suggests that the figure belongs
to a group of two boys playing the game of morra, anciently known as micare
digitis (cf. Becq de Fouquieres, Les Jeux des Anciens, p. 290). In the arrange-
ment of the hair and character of the head, this figure has much in common with
the usual type of Eros; but as the wings are wanting, it is more likely to
represent Ganymede playing with Eros (cf. Apoll. Rhod. iii. 117).

Ht. 2 ft. 6-1 in. Foggia, 1869; acquired from M. Piot. Journ. Hell. Stud. xviii. p. 131 ;
Reinach, Repertoire, ii. p. 443, No. 1. Prubably of local execution. In fine condition.

827. Heracles beside the tree of the Hesperides; He stands with r. leg drawn
back, holding the golden apples in 1. hand ; he is nude and beardless, with curly
hair and whiskers ; the eyes have been inlaid with silver, and his r. hand has
held a club. Behind him is the tree, with branches and fruit, round which is
twined the recently-slain serpent, the head hanging down in a lifeless manner,
as described in Apoll. Rhod. (iv. 1400). There are traces of the lion’s skin
having been slung over Heracles’ r. arm.

Ht. of the figure, 2 ft. 6\ in.; of the whole bronze, including the base, which is ancient.

3 ft. 5f in. Found in 1775 in the ruins of a temple at Gebail, the ancient Byblus, and sent to
England in 1779 by Dr. Swinney, Chaplain to the Factory at Constantinople. Towneley Coll.
Spcc. Ant. Sculpt. ii. pl. 29 ; Museum Marbles, iii. pl. 2 ; Elli=, Towneley Gallery, i. p. 272 ;
Clarac, Mustc de Sculpt. v. pl. 785, 1966; Welcker, Alte Denkm. v. p. 80; Murray, Hist. of
Gk. Sculpture 1, ii. p. 394; cf. Michaelis, Ancicnt Marbles in Gt. Britain, p. 113, and Edwards,
Lives of Foundcrs of Brit. Mus. i. p. 378. Prints by Thornthwaite and Skelton. Cf. for the
subject, Suidas, s.v. 'HpwcXijs ; a similar figure in Mon. dell’ Inst. viii. pl. 50 ; the type cor-
responds with the Tyrian Hercules on the coins of Thasos (cfi' Brit. Mus. Cat. of Coins of
Thrace, etc., p. 222). The figure belongs to a late period of Graeco-Roman art. A leaflet
issued on the arrival of the statue mentions two Greek inscriptions on lead, discovered with it.
The lion’s skin was extant but separate ; the club was found, but has been lost.