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This fragment was originally part of the front
right corner of a Roman marble sarcophagus in
which the remains of the deceased were interred.
Sculpted in high relief, this piece depicts a
stunning representation of the god of music and
the arts, Apollo. Here, the deity is depicted
nude, save for a mantle draped pinned on his
right shoulder and draped over his left. The
same cloth falls from behind over his right leg.
In his left hand, he holds a kithara, his definitive
attribute, that rests on his raised right knee.
Two legends associate him with this instrument:
one says he received the instrument from his
father Zeus upon his birth and the other
recounts
how he acquired it from the god Hermes in
exchange for cattle. Are we to presume from his
stance that we have caught this god in the
middle of a musical recital? Perhaps he is
performing a requiem in honor of the deceased
whose remains were once contained inside the
completed sarcophagus.
His head is marvelously rendered with a sweetly
smiling face that comforts and warms our hearts,
proving that this god is benevolent. His curly
hair has been parted down the center and
arranged in a top-knot. A winged griffin stands
in between his legs, facing left. Overhead, a
portion of an oak tree is still visible. Judging
from the presence of flora and fauna, we can
assume that this was a pastoral symphony. On
the short side of the sarcophagus, which is only
partially preserved, there is a feline’s paw
sculpted in shallow relief. Might this paw be the
foot of yet another griffin? Although this is only
a fragment of a much larger work, the depiction
of Apollo is so marvelous that it functions
perfectly by itself.
- (X.0145)
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