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Pinax probably depicting Herakles

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

Summary

A man, probably Herakles, is depicted on a narrow, fragmented pinax. He is wearing a lion-skin, which often is associated with Herakles.

Description of object

The narrow pinax depicts the upper part of a male figure. His head is turned towards his right side. Curled locks are visible at the forehead and the rest of his head is covered by a exomis of a lion with the fron paws probably tied together at the chest of the man. He is wearing a short-sleeved tunic. His left arm is bent and held in fron of his torso. The person depicted is probably Herakles.

Choice of methods

Visual examination

  • Macroscopic

Technical imaging

  • UV
  • VIL

Sampling

  • Cross section
  • Scrapings for FT-IR
  • XRF
  • FT-IR

Visual examination

The pinax is painted with brown, black and dark red paint on a cream white slip.

Bibliography

M. Cristofani (1986), Nuovi dati per la storia urbana di Caere, BdA, 35-36, 1-23.

M.A. Rizzo (1994), Nuove lastre dipinte da Cerveteri, in M. Martelli (ed.) Tyrrhenoi philotechnoi, Roma, 52, n. 2.

J. Christiansen & N. A. Winter (2010), Etruria I . Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, 190-191, cat. no. 85.

C. Brøns (1), S. B. Hedegaard & K. L. Rasmussen (2018), The real thing? Studies of polychromy and Authenticity of Etruscan Pinakes at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Studi Etruschi LXXIX – MMXIV, 195-223.

  • HIN 800
  • Architectural element
  • 500-480 B.C.E.
  • Etruscan
  • Terracotta
  • Acquired in 1977.
  • H. 9 cm.; W. 13 cm.; D. 2.6 cm.

Selected photos

  • Hin800_t_grey
  • Hin800_uv_t
  • Hin800_vil_t
  • Hin800_t_xrf
  • Hin800_t_cross-sections

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Hin800_t_xrf
  • Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Munsell Color X-rite
  • Adobe Photoshop C53 and Lightroom 2.7
  • XRF measurements