| Collection: | Corinth | |
| Type: | Object | |
| Name: | T 2 | |
| Title: | KNEELING AMAZON DEFENDING HERSELF FROM GREEK | |
| Category: | Miscellaneous | |
| Category Code: | T | |
| Object Number: | 2 | |
| Description: | The block represents an Amazon, kneeling right on a small rock pile, and defending herself from a cuirassed Greek, advancing left. The duel is surrounded by spacious background, 0.550m. from left border to Amazon's head, 0.183m. between Amazon's head and top border, 0.285m. between Greek's shield and right border. The Amazon wears a helmet with pointed brim, folded back and ending in a curl above her ear; its surface curves out at back; the crest is preserved only as far as back of crown, where the top plume was attached by a small dowel; half of bronze dowel remains in the second hole on top of the head. The surface on the right of the crown is chipped; a wing remains on this side in low relief and was perhaps part of a whole bird. The Amazon's hair protrudes from beneath the helmet slightly before the ear, and is arranged in a long spiral curl which falls back parallel to the helmet's border to the back of the neck from which point it extends part way down the back (into the background). Her expressionless face looks beseechingly up toward her opponent. Her right eye is not deeply set, the nose is fairly straight, cheeks and forehead are smooth. The eyes both seem to be quite indistinctly rendered. The left is elongated, in fact, the entire left side of the face is unfinished and still bares marks of the point and flat chisel. The small mouth, thin lips and long upper lip, turns down at the corners and is slightly open. The square chin line extends to behind her ear tip. Her torso presents a 3/4 right view. Her body, of stocky proportions, appears thick and fleshy, particularly around her right shoulder and nude breast, which projects strongly. The nipple is worn though it seems to have been carved. The top of her chitoniskos, which has fallen from her right shoulder, forms a pleasing loop across the left shoulder and under her right arm. The border is creased along lines parallel to the lines of the in front, diagonally in the back. The left border curves over the far side of her left breast, which does not protrude as far as the right, and on which the nipple is clear. The ends of the overfold are evident, slightly uplifted by the wind, from the back to below the right arm in front. Shallow, ridged folds of the skirt cover the thick hips and reveal the form of the thighs beneath and their V-shaped jointure with the abdomen. The diagonal, curving lines across the thighs and the much deeper fold between the two particularly outline the limbs. The hem, which is uplifted only slightly in front, shows more action in the rear, as if kicked up by the heel of her boot. The U-shaped folds at the bottom are slightly undercut by the running drill. Her left hand holds the peltas traised against her attacker, while the right rather heavy handedly directs her short hatchet at his left thigh. The left arm is unfinished, the shiled only slightly under cut. The central knob of the shield is chipped off; one side of it is partly restored, along with the head of the hatchet, which is rendered in low relief against the shield. The opposite end of the hatchet's head is curled. Both weapons lend a strong diagonal line to the composition which is countered by the opposing oplique line formed by the Greek. The 2 lines, however, do not cross at such a strategic point as would render the composition scarcely more than static. As both knees rest on the formless rockpile, the legs are extended left, though only the right calf and booted foot are carved. The Amazon wears the common leather boot which sports a rounded top, 2 turned down flaps and a thin sole. The Greek strides left, his thick right arm, very lightly modelled, raised and ready to strike. He holds a short sword, carved in very low relief. The Greek's cuirass is similar to that in T-1, left, and he also wears a chitoniskos beneath. The modelling at the upper boundary of the thorax makes their only difference a small one. T-23 again presents a similar prospect (Cf. also frags. T 117, T 373). The figure is varied by the presence of greaves, on both legs, which extend from the top of the knee to the ankle, leaving the feet bare. The figure leans forward on his right, supporting leg, which is in left profile view, as his left leg is held back in nearly frontal view, which causes the foot to rest, oddly foreshortened, on the plinth. Part of the crest of his helmet remains, a stub on top, and a strip down the back, from which the plume was broken. Most of the neck, and part of the left cheek remains. The shield, held in his left hand, is foreshortened and appears in near 3/4 view; much of its surface retains clas chisel marks. His forehead and part of each small eye are also preserved. | |
| Mythology: | Amazonomachy | |
| Material: | White, fine-grained marble | |
| Condition: | Fragment. 28 joining fragments. Restored: Amazon: small areas of right arm, end of hatchet, part of shied, Greek: most of face, helmet, small sections in fringe of pteryges, parts of both calves; a good deal of background. 2 hook clamps. | |
| Manufacture: | Background - claw chisel, flat around figures; Plinth - claw and point; reverse, roughtly picked. | |
| Dimensions Actual: | W. 1.423, Th. relief ground 0.080, H. of Amazon ca. 0.490, H. of Amazon's head 0.110, H. of Greek 0.650, H. of Greek's head 0.119 | |
| Dimensions Restored: | H. 0.810 | |
| Period: | 2nd c. A.C. | |
| Chronology: | 2nd quarter of 2nd c. A.C. according to Corinth IX p.4-5 | |
| Site: | Corinth | |
| City: | Ancient Corinth | |
| Country: | Greece | |
| References: | Image: digital 2012 0748 |
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