Pinax probably depicting Herakles

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.