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The paper examines the famous Tanagra terracotta coffins (larnakes) as loci of enduring memory that contributed to the construction of funerary place and sought to prescribe affect within the heter...

يتناول هذا المقال موضوع المعبد الواقع في بلدة الخرايب في الريف المتاخم لمدينة صور في الجنوب اللبناني الذي يعود إلى الحقبتين الفينيقية والهلنستية والذي بقي يستخدم حتى مرحلة متقدمة من الحقبة الهلنستية. کشفت التنقيبات الأرکيولوجية في النصف الثاني من القرن العشرين عن بعض إنشاءات المعبد وعن أعداد کثيرة من الدمى الطينية التي قامت البعثة الإيطالية اللبنانية المشترکة (2013-2020) بدراستها. وقد أضاءت الدراسات عن ماهية الطقوس الممارسة في المعبد وعن التأثيرات الهندسية والفنية إذ تمکنت من إعادة تکوين شکل المعبد وتطويره. کما تتطرق المقالة هذه لموضوع المواقع وبعض الإنشاءات الأرکيولوجية التي اکتشفتها فريق البعثة الأثرية في بلدة الخرايب التي أسفرت عن اکتشافات لا تقل أهمية عن سابقاتها نذکر منها موقع "جمجيم" الذي يعود إلى عصر البرونز وتل القاسمية الذي يقع عند مصب نهر الليطاني المعروف أيضا بنهر القاسمية. کما وأظهرت المسوح الأثرية وجود مواقع أثرية مهمة في بلدة عدلون نذکر منها موقعين مع ميناءين، بالإضافة إلى موقع المدافن من الحقبتين الرومانية والبيزنطية. The Temple of Kharayeb from the Phoenician and Hellenistic Periods in the Hinterland of Tyre (Lebanon) Abstract: This article focuses on the temple located in the locality of Kharayeb, which dates back to the Phoenician and Hellenistic eras. The archaeological excavations undertaken in the second half of the twentieth century revealed some of the temple’s features and numerous terracotta figurines that were studied by the joint Italian-Lebanese archaeological mission (2013-2020) in addition to the archaeological surveys in the vicinity of the temple and in the town of Adloun, which resulted in the discoveries of various sites and archaeological features. The latest archaeological researches shed the light on the rituals practiced in the temple and in its architecture and artistic influences, thus resulting on the reconstructing of its several phases.

The aim of this article is to understand the foreign influence on Iron Age Judahite sacred architecture, offering and incense altars and clay figurines in the context of the latest archaeological finds from Israel. The important discoveries from the recent years are the Judahite temple at Tel Moẓa, the two-horned Philistine altar from Gath and a “horse and rider” figurine from Moẓa. Searching and analyzing parallels to the archaeological evidence from other sites is key to interpreting them from a different perspective. The architecture of the sanctuary at Moẓa reflects in antis (North Syrian) style that is also known from the Biblical description of the Solomonic temple. Nonetheless, the Arad sanctuary is a mixture of Early Bronze and Iron Age elements. The horned altars from Beer-sheba and Dan or Megiddo in northern Israel are related to the Philistine type which originated in the Aegean region and in Egypt. The motive of horns can be observed across these cultures, but their interpretation could be different for each culture. Relatively small objects, the Judean Pillar figurines, replace older nude terracotta plaques from the Late Bronze Age known from Egypt, Mesopotamia and a variety of places in the Middle East. The fundamental feature shared by all of them was basically connected to fertility. The other type of figurines, such as the “horse and rider figurines”, were symbols of the elite and not images of the male deity, as was presented in the past. The horse with the remains of the rider’s feet was found at Moẓa in a clear cultic context, where it was used and smashed during a ritual. Why this happened is still unanswered. The Judahite cult was, thanks to its position among hegemons and due to nearby trade roads, influenced by Egypt, Aegean region, Syria and Mesopotamia. However, the meaning of objects or “symbols” differed from site to site.

The word ‘inscription’ is derived from the Latin word ‘Inscripto’ which means something that is inscribed or engraved. It was engraved on clay (terracotta), stone pillars, copper plates, walls of temples, caves, and on the surface of much other metal and also even palm leaves. Very often we’ve seen it on coins and seals. It consists of important texts or symbols that reveal crucial information and evidence of ancient kings and their empires. Music is the soul of Indian culture. Indian music has an affluent tradition with its root in Vedic time. It is said that Indian music owes its origin to the Sāma Veda. The Vedic hymns were chanted with a particular pitch and accent which are used in religious work. Dance in India also has a rich and vital tradition since the beginning of our civilization. Dances of Indi were to give symbolic expressions which are also enlightened to religious ideas. Ancient Inscriptions, Engraving of Inscription, Music, Dance, Epigraphical Evidence.

Through picking the Desert as the artistic subject by the researcher to deal with it technically using different mural materials, to reach through the applying and recruitment of different techniques to designing solutions that express the pictorial elements according to the artist visionary and his desire to find plastic art relations of different textures and colouring and pictorial rhythm , to achieve that purpose the artist recruit diversities of materials to gain integration between them inside the border of each piece , the applied techniques varies from flat coloured glass to fused glass in electrical oven in degrees that range between 850 to 950 Celsius above handmade glazed terracotta slabs or above surfaces of manufactured ceramics ,recruitment of mosaic was also applied representing the attaching units working between the glazed terracotta slabs and the colours flat glass adjacent to it in some of the art works , other material that was also applied is the ceramic colours that were fused above glazed ceramic and mixed with fused glass and mosaics in the same art piece, the exhibition also includes series of pieces that combine living elements derived from the desert environment represented by the camels heads painted and treated with varnishes and epoxies materials above coloured glass plates fused over glazed ceramic, the design construction of the exhibition art works in total ,the artist seek through it to benefit from the unique glass colours veins to recruit it as a main attaching unit that express the desert environment and formations, and also to innovate plastic relations triggered from the fusing reactions of coloured glass with the black glazing layers in high temperatures, the desert as an artistic subject provides a good chance to recruit mural materials to express it ,due to the natural fundamental and constructive formations of different textures that the desert environment includes varying between rocks and sand dunes and hills configurations. Research Problem:- how to recruit technical diversities of mural materials having different textures and thermal properties to achieve plastic consisting and harmonic editing of the artistic subject. - how to merge mural materials of different depth levels inside the same art work in a method that doesn’t spoil the design unification. - How to express about the artistic subjects derived from the natural domestic environment through recruiting mural materials to reach designing and technical solutions that evoke the artist visionary. Objectives: -Mixing between different mural materials to reach plastic art relations that benefit from the diversity in their textures and depth and what emerge from their surface dimensions differentiation to enrich the art work by variegation the rhythm that dominate the vision of the work formulating elements. -Benefiting from the possibilities that the mural materials can provide ,especially the coloured glass due to the colourful veins and textures that it includes , which give a plastic sensation that provide rich opportunity for over glazed painting of plastic art elements that integrate with it in both colour and design scheme. Results: -the desert as an artistic subject provides a suitable space for recruiting mural materials to express about it, due to the natural and compositing structure of the desert which contains elements with diversities of textures of smooth sand dunes and hills compositions, that give opportunity for the artist to recruit coloured glass and fusing techniques of electric ovens, and also recruiting mosaics and ceramic colours to achieve a wide range of this effects by applying different mural painting techniques.- Coloured glass once fused in high temperatures, the reactions that appears on its surface differs according to the type of the glass panel and its chemical composition, and those results varies between apparent cracks of different density or diversities and variances in textures roughness and smoothness, also in the amount of fused coloured veins integration and its reaction with the glazed ceramic tiles underneath it

Three terracotta figurines depicting a bearded man sitting on a pile of stones were found in the Northern Black Sea region. The first came from the burial in Velyka Blyznytsia Barrow (the Taman Peninsula), the second was found in a pit in the residential part of Koshary ancient settlement (Olbia chora). The third was purchased from a collector as a find in Kerch or on the Taman Peninsula. According to the visual analysis of the color and structure of the clay, it is believed that terracotta is of Attic origin. The most probable date of their creation was the last third of the 4th century BCE. Different views were expressed on the interpretation of these figurines. The depicted man was defined as a drunken Hercules, an actor in the role of Hercules or Silenus. Iconographic analysis of the figurines allows to state that they represent the actor of the Ancient or Middle Attic comedy. Typical elements of the actors' costumes were tight-leg trousers, a thickening on the abdomen, and an artificial phallus. Just in such clothes, the actors are represented on black-figured vases from the south of Italy and on numerous terracotta items of the 4th century BCE. Among them, there are figurines depicting actors in the role of mythical characters. Certain markers were used to indicate a character. The figurines we are considering do not have any of the attributes of Hercules. Lowered oblong object that the man holds in his left hand is a torch. The presence of a torch, in this case, can have different interpretations: either it is associated with a certain ritual, or shows that the action takes place in the dark. Tympana were used during orgiastic dances and religious festivals in honor of Dionysus and Cybele. They are often depicted in the hands of maenads. Ivy wreaths with corymbs are the usual peculiar features of the image of Dionysus and his companions – satyrs, silens, Pan, and maenads. An important detail is the presence of two pairs of ears: animal pointed ears, which are the element of the mask and the actor's ears. Such pointed ears are a sign of Satyr or Silenus. In general, these details confidently allow us to define the figurine as the image of the actor in the role of Silenus. Unfortunately, it is hardly possible to find out a specific literary work that could be illustrated by these figurines. We can only assume, taking into account the plot of the third figurine, that this character is associated with the myth of the birth of Dionysus, and his tutor Silenus. The link of these terracotta figurines with the cult of Dionysus, which has been emphasized by many researchers, is quite obvious.

Over the centuries, China still respectfully treasures rich Asian cultures, traditions, and customs. China is now famous all over the world for its mysterious wonders and cultural & natural heritages such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army, etc. The Chinese history is full with the exposition of outstanding features of Chinese culture such as great thoughts of Confucius, religious beliefs, traditional festivals and customs e.g., Chinese new year, language and calligraphy e.g., Shu Fa, four great inventions of ancient China e.g., papermaking, printing, gunpowder and the compass, traditional architecture and sculpture, traditional art forms, etc. The era of history of China before the time in power of Qin dynasty is known by name as the period of Warring States. This period started from 475 BC and ends at 221 BC. Seven Warring States were included in it i.e. Qin, Wei, Han, Yan, Chu, Zhao, and Qi. Zheng was the King of Qin, who started his journey to triumph over 6 states in the period of 230 BC. Qin was the 1st emperor of this unified state of China. Thus he was known by the name of “First Emperor of Qin” or “Qin Shi Huang”. This study provides a deep insight of Chinese history and it is illustrated that major achievements in Chinese culture and history are contributed in the era of Qin dynasty.

The article introduces clay figurines of eagles and terracotta of a Roman soldier, which were found during excavations at the Lower City of Olbia in the 1930—1940-ies, and are kept in the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. The iconography of the eagles is similar to the terracotta statuette of an eagle found in the praetorium building in the Upper City of Olbia. The series of rooms, in which the eagle figurines were found, belong to the Roman garrison structures, which were located in the port area of the city. Terracotta eagle figurines could be used in military sanctuaries, and imitate Roman military standards, or be associated with the worship of Jupiter. Analogies to these products are known from the Roman fortresses on the Danube and in Dacia province. The fragment of terracotta with a shield was a part of a Roman soldier figurine with hanging limbs. The warrior was depicted wearing a Roman military cloak (sagum). This indicates his higher rank, in contrast to the soldiers dressed in tunics. In his left hand he holds a shield (clipeus), which depicts a deity in armor, with rays above his head. The terracotta depicts warriors armed with gladius, and belted with a Roman military belt (cingulum militare). They depict the servicemen of the auxiliary troops of the Roman army — auxilia, or, given the non-standard shape of their shields, the sailors of the Moesian fleet (milites classiarii), whose units were stationed in Olbia, as is known from the epigraphic finds. The places of their finds mark the points of deployment of the Roman troops in the Northern Black Sea region. These terracottas could serve as votives in ritual rites associated with the cult of Mithras, which appears in Olbia as a result of the Roman garrison deployment in the city during the second half of the 2nd — first half of the 3rd c. AD.

The article is devoted to the introduction into scientific circulation of a collection of terracotta architectural details from the excavations of the Upper City of Olbia in the second half of the 1920-ies. Archaeological research was conducted by the Scientific Council of the All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences according to the plan proposed by B. V. Farmakovskyi after the resumption of excavations in Olbia in 1924. Two of the details, fragments of polychrome simas of the Late Archaic period, most likely were related to the cult monumental structures of the Western Temenos and were found in the layer of its destruction. The remaining details were found during excavations of residential houses in the central (excavation sites A, H, D) and north-eastern part of the city (excavation site I). These are fragments of eaves tiles, the facades of which are decorated with embossed ornaments of two variants — Ionian cyma with pearls and meander, in the metopes of which are placed letters or four- and eight-petalled palmettes. The tile category includes a pentagonal antefix with a relief image of an Athena mask in a helmet and half lotus flowers on the sides. Fragments of gutters (simas) — a facade with a Satire mask and a water-supply decorated in the shape of a lion’s head with an open mouth were also found. Ceramic architectural details, which served as decoration and were an integral part of the roof of residential buildings, became widespread in Olbia in the second half of the IV—III c. BC. Such details are also known in almost all ancient centers of the Western Black Sea coast. Modern ceramic studies of similar architectural terracotta from Messambria and Apollonia Pontica have determined its local production. The obtained data allowed correcting not only the information on handicraft production in Olbia, as such a tile is traditionally, after the opinion of I. B. Brashynskyi, belonged to the local ceramic production, but also to offer a new direction of the Black Sea trade in ceramic building materials. Another important area for Olbia was the tiles import from Sinop.

Serápis foi um deus criado por Ptolomeu I Sóter, primeiro faraó da dinastia lágida (305-30 a.C.) como deus guardião dos novos soberanos e da cidade de Alexandria. A representação iconográfica de Serápis seguia os moldes das divindades gregas. Mas também é resultado de um elemento propriamente egípcio no nome. Com base na cultura material feita de terracota, proveniente do Egito greco-romano e representando Serápis, pretendemos analisar as práticas religiosas e a religião popular associadas ao deus. Partimos da hipótese de que Serápis é resultado do contato e emaranhamento da religião egípcia e grega, fruto de um ambiente marcado pela miscigenação e por um estreito contato cultural.

The title of the Apokolokynthosis includes clues suggesting an identification of Claudius with a fritillus, a box for throwing dice. The fritillus was also deemed the king of Saturnalia while Claudius was also described as a Saturnalicius rex. On the other hand, archaeological evidence allows us to identify the fritilli with terracotta small objects whose form is similar to that of pumpkin flowers. Therefore it seems to be reasonable to recognize a transformation of the emperor into the flower rather than the fruit of pumpkin.

Four terracotta busts of a woman with unique attributes were unearthed in Olbia during excavations of 1936 and 1959. The attributes include a cone-shaped bowl on the head, corymbs in the hair, a taenia on the forehead and floral décor. For a long time, scholars considered the woman a personification of goddess Demeter. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Danish scholar Pia Guldager Bilde was the first to change this attribution to Ariadne, Dionysus’ wife, based on five small fragments of similar busts found during N. O. Leipunskaia’s excavations in the sector of the «Lower town: North» (NGS) in Olbia. Following other scholars, she also identified them as thymiateria – utensils for incense burning in bowls. Despite the absence of other characteristic elements and traces of soot, they were named “Ariadne thymiateria”. Later, T. M. Shevchenko published seven more fragments of similar busts, which in her recent publications were identified as thymiateria depicting one of the participants of the Dionysiac thyasos: a nymph, Ariadne, Semela and others, or even young Dionysus himself. Such contradictory interpretations of the above terracottas led to their comprehensive analysis. The first of two planned articles on this topic develops a typology of this group of terracotta busts, which distinguishes between three iconographic types. The first and the third type include one item each. The second iconographic type is the most numerous and has two variants. Variant A comprises eleven items from Olbia excavations from different years, including four fully restored terracotta busts with the abovementioned iconographic attributes. The hypothetical subvariant Aa is the head of a similar bust from the excavations of Scythian Neapolis. Variant B comprises one fragment from Chersonesos Taurica. We have reasons to believe that terracottas of all three iconographic types were created in the 3rd century BC. This assumption is supported by the chronology of closed contexts, in which around half of them were discovered, including terracotta busts that are generally dated back to the 3rd century BC. Most likely, these busts were last used for rituals in family sanctuaries in the middle of the 2nd century BC. We assume that the shape of the bowl on the head of terracotta woman busts was made by Olbian artists under the influence of local ceramic thymiateria in the form of a cone-shaped tall-stem bowl from the 3rd century BC. Taking into account the absence of any traces of soot in the bowls on the busts and their practical use of thymiateria, we believe that these original terracotta items were used for votive purposes. The pouring of essential oil into the coarse, widely open bowl is questionable considering the very high price of the aromas, discovery locations in blocks where artisans and middle-income merchants were living, the terracotta texture, and lack of proper coating and lids with holes. The shape and the size of the bowl, a white engobe on its inner sides, and the floral décor on the woman’s head let us assume that it could be used for putting inside small fruit or seeds. According to this use, these busts were used as votives, pseudo-thymiateria or a kind of aroma bowls for dry flowers or fragrant plants.

Having considered the main types of Sogdian terracotta figurines of the 3rd century BC — 5th century AD the author has come to a conclusion that there was a certain influence of the images of Greek terracotta art upon them. However, this impact upon Sogdiana was mediated by “transit” cultural regions — Mesopotamia, Margiana and Bactria.

This article deals with a second group of funerary inscriptions discovered in the Western Necropolis of Perge during the excavations between 1998 and 2011. The funerary inscriptions in question are located in the excavation site known as Parcel 169. This parcel consists of burial complex M9, tomb building M3 and the burial complex M6 with the burial chamber M6.3. The authors give an architectural description of the monuments with dating suggestions and epigraphic assessments. M9 is the area’s largest, best-preserved, and most monumental burial complex and contains two levels to different periods. It belonged to the local family of the Iulii for over almost a century (from the second half of the 2nd century CE to the second half of the 3rd century CE). The tomb building M3 has a single chamber. Its facade and western side is built of terracotta bricks, while its eastern and southern sides were carved on the natural rock. Inside the tomb are three sarcophagi made of terracotta bricks. Owners of the tomb were Eutychos, his wife and his heirs. The tomb’s architecture points to the 3rd century CE. The tomb complex M6 contains four chambers with the first three constructed with alternating terracotta bricks and mortared rubble stone. M6.3 demonstrates different features from the other burial chambers with its direction, use of limestone blocks for its constructions and its interior design. It belonged to Ophonius Marcianus and was constructed in the 3rd century CE.

Non‐invasive materials characterisation of reconstructed statues of Emperor Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Army has revealed distinct micro‐geochemical patterning within the clay paste used in their manufacture. The significance of this is explored in terms of the production sequence, logistics and supply‐chain management involved in the construction of this enormous funerary assemblage. Of particular interest is a compositional distinction between figures marked with the names ‘Gong’ (宫) and ‘Xianyang’ (咸阳). These seem to represent the products of two workshops involved in the supply of ceramic objects for this ambitious, large‐scale building project undertaken by the Qin Empire during the third century BCE.

Seramik ve takı insanlık tarihiyle birlikte gelişim gösteren sanat alanlarındandır. Plastisitesi olan seramik kil bünyeler, insanoğlunun elinde farklı amaçlar doğrultusunda çeşitli şekillendirme yöntemleriyle hayat bulmaktadır. İlk çağlardan beri toprak ürünler, her şekle kolaylıkla girebilmekte ve bu kimi zaman bir kullanım eşyası, kimi zaman sanatsal bir eser vb. olarak farklı serüvenlerle var olmaktadır. İlk seramik örneklerin ‘Neolitik Çağ’ ile toprağın, önce güneşte kurutularak pişirilmeden kullanıldığı, M.Ö. 7000 yıllarında ise çanak çömleklerin pişirilerek yapıldığı bilinmektedir. İlk takı örneklerinin çeşitli kurutulmuş bitki, hayvan kemikleri ve doğal taşlardan yapıldığı düşünülmektedir. Seramik, ihtiyaçtan dolayı bir gereklilik olarak ortaya çıkmıştır. Takı ise süslenme ve dini ritüel gereksinimiyle geçmiş çağlardan beri kullanılmaktadır. Antik Mısır medeniyetindeki ilk sırlı seramik takılardan önce, terakota takılar müzelerde o dönemin kültürünü yansıtan örnekler olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Yeni sanat akımlarının ortaya çıkması, endüstri devrimi gibi birçok etken ile takı alanında hem malzeme hem de teknik anlamda çeşitlilik artmıştır. Toplanmalı sır kullanılan seramik takılar bu çeşitlliğe bir örnektir. Bir sır hatası olarak bilinen sırlarda toplanma, yüzeyde oluşturduğu doku ve bünyede yarattığı renk kontrastlarıyla görsel açıdan etkili sonuçlar ortaya koymaktadır. Bu etkili sonuçlar takı tasarımcılarının ve sanatçılarının da ilgisini çekmektedir. Bu araştırma kapsamında takı tasarımında renk ve doku konusu araştırılarak, toplanmalı sır kullanan takı sanatçılarından örnekler incelenecektir., Ceramics and jewelry are among the fields of art that has developed along with human history. Ceramic clay bodies with plasticity come to life with various shaping methods in the hands of human beings for different purposes. Since the early ages, soil products can easily enter any shape, and this is sometimes an object of use, sometimes an artistic work ect. with different adventures. The first ceramic samples were used during the ‘Neolithic Age’ period and the soil was first used in the sun drying without firing, it is known that the pottery was fired in 7000 B.C. It is thought that the first jewelry samples were made of various dried plants, animal bones and natural stones. Ceramics emerged as a necessity because of the need. Jewelry, on the other hand, has been used since past ages with the need for ornamentation and religious ritual. Before the first glazed ceramic ornaments in the ancient Egyptian civilization, terracotta ornaments appeared in the museums as examples reflecting the culture of that period. With the emergence of new art movements and many other factors such as the industrial revolution, diversity in jewelry has increased in terms of both material and technique. An example of this diversity is the ceramic jewelery with crawling glaze. Crawling glazing, known as a glaze defect, provides visually effective results with the texture and color contrasts it creates on the surface. These effective results also attract the attention of jewelry designers and artists. Within the scope of this research, the subject of color and texture in jewelry design will be investigated and samples of jewelry artists using crawling glaze will be examined.

An ancient terracotta sculpture (bearded male head), found in underwater excavations in the Kerch Bay (performed by experts of the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences before the construction of Crimean bridge pillars), has been studied at the National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute” using neutron and X-ray tomography. Based on the analysis of revealed technological seams, it is established that the object was made primarily by sculpturing, with successive addition of profiled details (hairstyle, nose, eyelids, eye, ears, nasolabial fold, beard) to the clay base. The terracotta was likely attached by its lower part to the lost support or base by a lead tie. All studies were carried out by nondestructive methods allowing for monitoring hidden cavities, which may further pose a threat to the preservation of valuable cultural heritage object.

Bu çalışmada, Orta Anadolu’nun güneyinde Konya il sınırları içerisinde yer alan, Gökhöyük Bağları Höyüğünde yapılan kazılarda açığa çıkarılan bir grup pişmiş toprak çanak çömlek ele alınmıştır. Bu grup içinde değerlendirilen parçaların iç kısımlarında bulunan kazımalar ve muhtemelen kap pişirilmeden önce, üretilme aşamasındayken eklenen parmak kalınlığındaki eklentiler bunların diğer seramiklerden ayrı bir grup içerisinde değerlendirilmesine neden olmuştur. Yapılan inceleme ve araştırmalar sonunda çalışmaya konu seramik parçaların pişmiş toprak yayık parçaları olduğu anlaşılmıştır. Yayıklar günümüzde otomatik makinelerin icat edilmesiyle elde yapımı giderek terk edilmeye başlanan sütten yağ elde etmede veya ayran yapımında kullanılan pişmiş toprak ya da ahşap kaplardır. Bu kap formunun en erken örnekleri Orta Anadolu’nun kuzeyinden Yarıkkaya’dan bilinmektedir. 2002 – 2005 yılları arasında Gökhöyük Bağları Höyüğü’nde yapılan kazılarda açığa çıkarılan seramikler arasında 60 adet yayık parçası saptanmıştır. Söz konusu eserlerin koyu yüzlü, çark yapımı kaba mallar olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Anolojik yöntemleri (benzetim sistemi) kullanılarak yapılan incelemeler sonucunda bunların Demir Çağı’na tarihlendirilmesi uygun bulunmuştur.

This article publishes the terracotta thymiateria (incense burners) from Olbia Pontica which represent busts of Aphrodite with Erotes on her shoulders. They were used probably in activities related to Aphrodite's cult for diffusing incense and as votives. They derive from excavations at houses, a stoa and the bothroi (sacrificial pits) at the central and western temene; they date to the period between the late third and the first half of the second centuries bc. The publication of such items coincides with ongoing research into the southern sacral precinct in Olbia dedicated to Aphrodite. This article explores the significance of the iconography of these objects and their use in cult activity related to the cult of Aphrodite at Olbia.

The collections of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow and the Benaki Museum of Athens contain terracotta figurines with unusual iconography. These figures have been interpreted in numerous different ways, and the authors do not think that a completely correct interpretation has yet been found. The ‘problematic’ elements are the pose, gestures and the headdress of the figurines, which resemble both the Isis Dolente type and some depictions of Harpokrates. Perhaps an ancient artisan combined iconographical features of Isis and another deity(-ies) to create these figurines.

Ahichchhattra, (20˚ 22ʺ N;79ʹ 08 12ʺ E), the ancient capital of Northern Panchala kingdom as mentioned in Mahabharata, is located near the Ramnagar village of Bareily district, Uttar Pradesh. The site is located between Aril and Peria rivers, the tributaries of Ramganga. Geologically, this area forms a part of Indo – Gangetic alluvium formation prominently consisting of clay and sand. This site roughly spread across 5.50 sq.km area is prominently located above the surrounding agricultural fields was identified and excavated primarily by Cunningham in 1862 followed by A. Ghosh in 1940. This revealed the chronology dating from 600 B.C.E to 1100 C.E. Culturally the site dates back to period of Ochre Colored Pottery (OCP), Painted Grey Ware (PGW), Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW) and early historic phases respectively. Among all the regions within the Indian sub-continent, the region of Ganga-Yamuna doab has yielded majority number of terracotta objects both in the exploration and excavation. This site has yielded various terracotta figurines consisting of animals, humans and miscellaneous terracotta objects. Within this, elephant appears to be the most prominent in the category of animal figurines at the site. The site seems to have been gradually transformed into a large city along with a rich artistic tradition. Artistic expressions are usually guided and shaped by society through its evolving concepts and developing beliefs. This ancient city has so far produced plenty of examples to prove it. This paper is an attempt to understand the cognition behind the artistic expressions considering the variety of creative elephants. This paper thus intends to prove the stylistic evolution of terracotta elephant figurines and its correlation to artistic development of the society at the ancient settlement of Ahichchhatra

The central Nigerian Nok Culture is known for its elaborate terracotta figurines and iron metallurgy of the first millennium BC. Since 2005, Goethe University Frankfurt has carried out comprehensiv...

Among terracotta busts thymiateria in Olbia Pontica, there is a group of female images with attributes of Dionysiac cult. Ten of them have mitra and ivy wreath shown already in a mould, while two items have handmade wreath added to the ready images. Similarly made bust thymiateria are known in North Pontic Tauric Chersonesos, Nymphaeum, and Hermonassa, another one is known in South-Eastern Pontic region. Ivy wreaths made of handmade details on terracottas from various regions are discussed in the paper. The interpretation of a handmade cup on the head as a thymiaterion, but not a basket as it was known in the literature before, allowed expanding the map of spreading the bust thymiateria which were traditional for the Hellenistic Greek world. Such busts found in Olbia, apart from a Dionysiac personage, presented Aphrodite and rarely the Mother of the Gods. There is no definite answer which of Dionysiac companions is presented in such a way. Apart from Ariadne, Dionysus appeared in art with other paredras: Aphrodite, later with one of maenads or nymphs, and even with Semele who died earlier than he was born, according to the myth. The 2nd century BC inscription evidences that there was a statue of this god with his mother in Olbia. Therefore, there is a probability that close in time bust thymiateria depicted Semele. Most of terracottas analyzed in this paper were found in houses and referred to a family worship of Dionysus in Olbia, while one item comes from the botros at the Central Temenos. They accomplish the evidences of Dionysus’ cult in the Hellenistic period. The most vivid and spread of them were lead bucrania and labrises, terracotta bulls and votive altars with Dionysus, maenad and Silenus on one of their sides, etc. These terracottas were in fact the devices for performing the cult. Symbolic offerings or thymiam were put on them when Dionysus was worshipped. Less active spreading of incense did not require its burning and that is perhaps a reason why there are no traces of soot on most of them. This fact finds its parallels in other regions of Hellas.

Este artículo está dedicado a estudiar un relieve en terracota conservado en el Bode-Museum de Berlin, atribuyéndolo al escultor Juan de Juni.

The collective monograph “Image and cult in pre-Roman Iberia II: new readings about incense burners shaped like a woman head” edited by M. C. Marin Ceballos and A. M. Jimenez Flores is a research of original terracotta artifacts which were popular in certain regions of Iberia in from the 4 th to the 1 st centuries BC. The scholars focus on attribution and iconography, determination of prototypes of feminine figures, ways of using incense burners in religious and funerary rituals, search for locally-made items, their typology and gradual spread on the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. Key words: Spain, pre-Roman Iberian culture, Sicily, Sardinia, Carthage, incense burner shaped like a woman head, thymiaterion, iconography, Demeter, Tanit, Tinnit

Portuguese museums and private collectors gather a variety of Italian glazed terracotta sculptures attributed to the della Robbia workshop, particularly active between the 15th and 16th centuries. Compositional studies of the paste using INAA, PGAA and XRD and enamel using PIXE, and luminescence protocols, were used as a tool to ascertain the attribution of the sculptures to della Robbia workshop. Geochemical and mineralogical patterns were defined enabling to express the production recipe. The luminescence ages were found to be between 1380 and 1640 in some cases with high uncertainties. The compositions of the blue glazes were proved to be similar to other measured on della Robbia sculptures from French and Italian collections based on cobalt pigments. Arsenic behaviour, which is associated to cobalt in most cobalt-minerals, is rather peculiar, as it was already found in other della Robbia sculptures enabling a chronological framework, pointing to a production after 1520. Based on the results, most of the analysed sculptures implies a della Robbia production, and only a few point to a composition and chronology not related with that workshop. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia support through the UID/Multi/04349/2013 and PTDC/HIS/HEC/116742/2010 projects; H2020 CHARISMA funded (Grant Agreement no. 228330) project at Budapest Neutron Center; FB, MNAA, MNAz, FCG, MJ for sampling and field measurements. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The paper presents two terracotta statuettes from the Republic of Tajikistan. One of them was found in the course of archaeological reconnaissance works in the Vakhsh valley in 1971. The time and place of discovery of the second statuette are unknown. The first statuette is a slab with relief depicting a female divinity dressed in a long robe with a necklace (fig. 1, 1), while the second rep- resents what appears to be a horseman image (fig. 1, 2). Both statuettes find numerous analogies in the materials of antique settlements of Central Asia, but have also some local specific traits.

This article introduces five terracotta figurines acquired in Egypt by Vladimir S. Golenishchev and N. G. Ter-Mikaelyan and currently preserved at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. Three statuettes depict the child god Harpocrates with the attributes of royal power; two figurines demonstrate the identification of Harpocrates with the Greek god Eros. Most of the objects can be dated mainly to the Roman times, one is to be dated to the late Ptolemaic period. The places of finding or manufacturing of figurines are mostly unknown; however, according to a number of specific features, these could be towns of the Fayum Oasis, the Delta, and in one case — probably, Edfu. Terracotta figurines of Harpocrates with royal regalia are rare, especially in comparison with the wide-spread occurrence of terracottaе with Harpocrates holding a pot or cornucopia; all these data bring his functions as patron of fertility and defender of health to the fore. The presence of royal attributes seems to be a kind of secondary, partly decorative elements that only enhance the most popular aspects of terracotta images of Harpocrates. The type of figurines depicting Harpocrates sitting on a throne with the crown of the god Amun reproduces the iconography of small bronze sculpture. In other types of terracotta the royal attributes most frequently found are the double crown and — rarely — a nemes-headdress; the crown is usually surrounded by lotus buds, a favorite motive of Harpocrates’ iconography. The childish image of Harpocrates in the time of interaction between Eastern and Western cultures led to a natural synthesis of images of the child gods of Egyptian and Graeco-Roman worlds — Harpocrates and Eros. Apparently, such terracottaе, which had more Hellenistic than Egyptian features, were in demand by the population of different towns in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt.

The article explores 15 terracotta oil lamps found during the archaeological excavations of the Centre for Egyptological Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences at Kom Tuman (Memphis, Egypt). The majority of these lamps were made in moulds, and only one — on potter’s wheel. Various types of local Egyptian clays were used for the production of the lamps. Many of the lamps are decorated with various ornaments, such as palms, dolphins, torches, and, possibly, the ‘Macedonian shield’. Similar lamps were widespread in all the territory of Egypt; equally, such lamps appear among archaeological finds in the countries neighbouring with Egypt. The Memphite lamps under study were found in mixed layers and, therefore, we have compared them with analogous lamps from other locations in order to obtain more secure dating. Based on the parallels, we date the lamps to the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods (3rd century B.C. — 3rd century A.D.). The archaeological context of the lamps indicates their possible use in households and/or in temples for illumination of indoor spaces. The lamps are archaeological evidence for the existence of active everyday life at Kom Tuman in Graeco-Roman Period which is also confirmed by other sources. The study of archaeological pottery and of papyri found in the city of Memphis and in adjacent necropoleis shows that even after the foundation of the new Ptolemaic capital Alexandria, Memphis was not abandoned but continued for centuries to be a major administrative and cultic centre. The article includes the catalogue of 15 lamps with descriptions and illustrations.

The Terracotta Warriors are terracotta sculptures created for China's first emperor more than 2,000 years ago. They are among the most precious unearthed cultural relics of China. However, these relics have been predominantly found in fragments. Fragment classification is currently performed manually on enormous quantities of fragments, which is a time-consuming, inaccurate, and subjective task for archaeologists and conservators. In this study, an automatic method based on a deep learning network combined with template guidance is proposed to classify 3D fragments of the Terracotta Warriors. The fragments are initially classified using PointNet. Then, misclassified fragments are secondly categorized based on their best match to a complete Terracotta Warrior model. Extensive experiments were performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The promising results demonstrate that the method is the most accurate technique for classifying 3D Terracotta Warrior fragments to date. Moreover, the proposed method can significantly increase the efficiency of future fragment reassembly for the Terracotta Warriors.

The lamps studied in this article come from Metropolıs, a strategically located site between Pergamon and Ephesos, functioning in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Two different techniques of decorating the surfaces of the lamps were distinguished: Red-on-White and Red Slip. The lamps were dated contextually by terracotta oil lamps of the same morphological type found in the same assemblages. The material spanned a chronological range from the 1st to the 6th century AD.

The excavation of site Bey 004 in the urban center of Beirut was done as part of a major salvage-archaeology operation in the 1990s, in reparation for the redevelopment of the city after the Lebanese Civil War. War destruction had given archaeologists the opportunity to investigate the topography, history and everyday life of Beirut over the millennia since its establishment and before a new city would be built on top of the ruins in the 21st century. Terracotta oil lamps, like tableware, are a sensitive guide to the passage of time and cultures, spanning the ages the 5th century BC through the 9th century AD, from Persia to Islam. The article reviews the assemblage from the Bey 004 site, broken down by a local site typology that reflects major periods of occupation, and relates it to existing typologies of ancient Near Eastern lamps from the Canaanite to the Islamic.

El presente artículo analiza la técnica del escultor sevillano Cristóbal Ramos (1725- 1799). Dicho estudio se lleva a cabo a través del análisis de su producción, fundamentalmente en barro cocido y en papier maché, muy especialmente gracias a las obras que se han restaurado y cuyo sistema constructivo ha podido ser revisado en profundidad, algunas veces mediante análisis organoléptico y otras mediante análisis de tipo científico como TACS o radiografías. También será estudiada su faceta como restaurador y los materiales que emplea. Por último, se revisarán las claves de realización semi industrial de este tipo de imágenes, en materiales distintos a la madera dentro del sistema de talleres de la época.

In the article the finds of terracotta figurines from the excavations of the Hellenistic settlement of Maslyny in North-western Taurica (excavations by V. O. Latysheva) are analyzed. The terracotta collection contains striking specimens of ancient coroplastic. The figurines illustrate the religious life of the population, including the worship of cults of a family nature. All terracottas were found on the territory of the living and utility homesteads of the settlement. Most of the figurines are located in a room at the south tower, which, according to the interior and related material, had several functions. Other statuettes were also found in the non-ordinary rooms and this text also indicates their cultic purpose. Sanctuaries in rooms at the tower were known before at Chersonesos chora. Such practice of private sanctuaries corresponds to the choice of the most prominent and extraordinary places for arranging public sanctuaries of polis. Terracottas of Eros Thanatos, doves, and female figurines are connected with the cult of Aphrodite. One of three Erotes is decorated with red ribbons crossed on his chest. Such adornment is peculiar for Aphrodite images and not known on terracottas of this type. Protomes hanged on the wall and doves hanged to the ceiling, as well as female bust serving for a thymiaterion illustrate the variety of religious practices conducted by the habitants. A tympanon held by Nike reminds of mystery cults. The remains of ivy wreath on a Tanagra type figurine and a tympanum in the hands of Nika remind of Dionysus cult. The figurines are dated, according to the general chronology of the site, not earlier than the third quarter of 4th—3rd c. BC. Some statuettes were made in Tauric Chersonesos, where similar cults are traced during the Hellenistic period. Terracottas from Maslyny settlement find the closest analogies at the sites of the North-western Black Sea region, including Olbia and Callatis. This fact allows tracing the relation between Tauric Chersonesos and that region

Background Fundamental restoration of sculptures must include the research of pollution composition and exhibit surface condition as well as accurate identification of the materials of sculptures, bas-reliefs and coatings. In the recent years, studies of marble objects aimed at identification of contamination nature and composition have been developed. It should be noted that some exhibits have individual features as objects of restoration due to complex exposure to the environment, e.g. to fire. Results The article describes the results of surface contamination study on two exhibits from the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts collection. Marble relief sculpture “The Flagellation of Christ” was the main object of the study. Glazed terracotta (majolica) “Madonna Friedrichshain” was studied as a control sample with the same type of contaminations but with less sensitive surface. According to the results of different gas chromatography and X-ray fluorescence analyses, pollution compounds were identified as fatty alcohols, fatty acids and esters, part of which being residues of pyrolysis gasification, including those containing iron and lead. In order to gently clean the exhibits, several variants of chemical compounds were proposed based on various chelating agent mixtures, and, after studying their comparative effectiveness, the optimal scheme was chosen for removing existing contamination. For verification of marble exhibits safety, selected cleaning mixtures were tested on polished Carrara marble sample. Conclusion The most suitable scheme of organic contaminations removal including those containing iron and lead was suggested as part of restoration process. There is a number of working schemes of cleaning the surface of exhibits, however our proposed scheme interacts with the marble surface more gently because the target cleaning mixture composition was formulated taking into account the nature of pollutants and the least possible impact on the sample surface.

Terracotta figurines represent one of the most fascinating categories of material evidence from Hellenistic (Ptolemaic) and Roman Egypt relating to the domestic aspects of religious life. They include deities, ordinary humans, animals and sacred symbols, represented in exhaustive variety, both in terms of content and form. The group of terracotta figurines presented in this paper are no exception. It is drawn from the collection of the Sacristy of the Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, exhibited in a most impressive Roman cistern, which was discovered during the recent renovation of the Patriarchate premises. The catalogue will be accompanied by a concise overview of the nature and role of the main divine protagonists in comparison to other types of material evidence such as statuary, architecture, coinage and epigraphy, focusing on Alexandria, the capital of Egypt during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods.

A terracotta figurine depicting Athena Parthenos, which is in the collections of the University of Liverpool and previously dated to the Roman period, is argued to have been made in the 19th century. The premise is based on the object’s close stylistic similarities to 19th-century terracotta figurines in collections in Manchester and Geneva, leading to the conclusion that all three were made from the same mould, and accordingly are of the same date. The note also considers possible reasons for the manufacture of this series of terracotta figurines depicting Athena Parthenos.

Lukas Nickel’s article “The First Emperor and Sculpture in China” in the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies (2013) has drawn significant attention to the issue of Hellenistic influence on the making of the terracotta warriors excavated from the mausoleum of the First Emperor of China. In the perspective of textual evidence, Nickel attaches much importance to the connection between the Chinese report of the twelve da ren 大人 (“Big Men”) in Lintao 臨洮 in the Hanshu and the account of the construction of “altars” to the twelve Olympian gods by Alexander the Great at the easternmost point of his expedition to India in the Bibliotheca Historica. This coincidence suggests to Nickel that the twelve Big Men are a possible reference to large sculptural figures erected on the western border of the empire. This article aims to question this interpretation of the twelve da ren as sculptures in the Hanshu. A twofold examination of the textual and other historical sources will make clear that the twelve Big Men were mentioned not as huge statues but as exceptionally tall visitors, an exemplary omen related to human illness manifested in physical abnormality.