✨It’s a god; it’s a man; it’s HERCULES!✨
Hercules’ second labour is a fitting match for #ReliefWednesday (that old hump day). Here he squares off against the Lernean Hydra.
The hydra was known to terrorise the countryside around Lerna with its nine serpenty heads. Between the venom and the fact that one head was immortal, this was not a labour to be sneezed at!
✨Augustus and Tiberius - the Gemma Augustea✨
One of the most impressive artefacts from the Julio-Claudian period, the Gemma Augustea is our pick this #ReliefWednesday. Augustus is honoured in the top register in the guise of Jupiter, holding a sceptre and an augur’s staff. Tiberius is on the left about to disembark from a chariot. Germanicus also makes an appearance dressed in military attire. The lower register depicts a military victory, thought to be the suppression of the Dalmatian Revolt.
For #ReliefWednesday the so called Gemma Claudia, made of five-layered onyx. Emperor Claudius and his forth wife Agrippina minor are depicted on the left, opposite her parents Germanicus - brother of Claudius - and Agrippina maior.
The cameo was presumably made on the occasion of Claudius' and Agrippina's wedding in 49 AD.
Agrippina was the mother of Nero. It was rumoured that she poisoned her husband and uncle Claudius with a dish of mushrooms
On display at Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien
📷 me
✨Honouring the gods✨
This relief appears to depict the lead up to a bull sacrifice. There is a veiled figure at the altar with an attendant nearby, while another person leads the bull towards the final moment.
Unusually a building in the background appears to be very lop-sided giving the scene a more quirky vibe than you might otherwise expect. If you know more details about this artefact, we’d love to know more. It is apparently held by the Antiques Museum in the Royal Palace, Stockholm.
✨Relief plaque of temple attendants✨
This #ReliefWednesday we are enjoying this beautiful terracotta relief thought to date from the C1st CE but emulating the style of southern Italy and the influences of Magna Graecia. The provenance is not clear, but the style is certainly in keeping with the southern Italy terracotta relief style often seen in tiles and antefixes.
✨Celebrating the Year of the Fire Horse✨
This stunning relief is a bit of mystery in terms of provenance, but the sense of movement makes it a show-stopper. The heroic nude is usually identified as Castor and he leads a gorgeous horse while a dog follows behind.
May your year ahead be bright and filled with the vital fire embodied by the fire horse!
This beautiful but fragmentary relief depicts a theatre mask. Dating to the first century CE, the provenance of this relief is unknown, but the artistry cannot be denied. The intricate curls and waves of the hair add a sense of drama to the subject. From the Getty, object number 71.AA.291
For #ReliefWednesday a representation of Minerva, the #Roman goddess of wisdom, arts, crafts, and warfare. She's carrying the helmet, a lance and a shield. The deity is accompanied by an #owl, her sacred animal.
Found in Burgstall an der Murr.
📷 Landesmuseum Württemnberg
✨Exceptional Elephants✨
These two gorgeous elephants are thought to have once faced each other in an architectural setting, but the provenance is mostly unknown. The marble is apparently Italian and the panels are thought to date to the late first century CE. Despite the uncertainty, these two make a delightful pair!
The Partial Historians
Nina Willburger
Kevin Wilbraham