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-
- name Exeter Eagle
- cat Statue
- site Exeter 1972,
military timber buildings near modern Guildhall, Insula IV
- source RB in 1973, Britannia 5 (1973)
- publ Current Archaeology 39 (1973 July), p.102-110
- publ Toynbee JMC, in
Bidwell PT 1979 p.131-2
- publ Bidwell PT 1980,
p.38, p.53, fig.22
- desc Frances Griffith:
A portion of a life size Purbeck statue of an eagle,
suspected of having stood with a life size Jupiter
in/near the headquarters building of the legionary fortress at Exeter
- desc Bidwell 1980, p.38:
``In 1972 on the site of the barrack-blocks
next to the fabrica ... the sculptured torso of a bird was found
in the filling of a late first-century pit ... It is the only known example
in PM of figure-sculpture in the round. The torso, which appears to be
roughly life-size, is probably that of an eagle, and may have formed an
adjunct of a sculpture of Jupiter, or of an emperor in Jupiter's guise, the
most likely setting for which would have been the principia''
p.53: ``Insula IV: ... a site excavated on the E corner of this
insula remained open for a decade or so after c.75, although
slight remains of buildings excavated to the NW may date to the late
first century. A well which once have been timber-lined was dug next to the
street corner; its filling contained the PM torso of an eagle ... and a
group of 23 samian vessels closed by three Dr.37s dating to c.80-100''
- desc Toynbee:
``in Trichay St ... roughly life-size torso of a large bird carved in PM ...
found in a rubbish-pit associated with late-1st-cent pottery ... on a site
that had been in military occupation from c.55-60AD to the mid 70s.
... represents the front portion of the body and the upper section of each
leg ... back completely flat, 20com long 15.5cm greatest width ... [c.9cm
extreme front to back]. In centre of the flat surface, nearer to top, a
small round hole c.1.5cm deep [? for a peg uniting it with the back part].
At the top of the frag is a clean horiz cut well below base of lost neck,
suggesting deliberate decapitation. Lower portions of both legs and claws
are gone. Behind ... the sculpture tapers towards the missing tail.
Remainder of legs, the chest, and the sides of the body are carved with
a series of curved relief-lines running in different directions, which
represent featherss very naturalistically and sensitively ... a slightly
projecting ridge ... may be the beginning of the R wing.
Of the species ... no conclusive evidence ... massive proportions of the
breast and military character of find-spot suggest ... eagle ... might have
stood facing spectator, on the ground beside the R leg of a statue of Jupiter
or of an emperor in Jupiter's guise ... chronologically the personage might
have been Nero, most of whose portraits were either destroyed or provided
with new heads at the time of his damnatio memoriae ... it might
have been sufficient to mutilate the eagle ... this reconstruction of
the story of the piece is ... purely speculative ...
(footnote) We cannot ... rule out ... that this sculpture was part of a
large high-relief ...
(The delicacy of work on feathers) indicates work of imported artist;
compare [1] limestone statuette of eagle,
found 1948 about 1/2 mile from villa at Spoonley Wood, Glos,
in which the feathers are [crudely indicated]:
Taylor 1959, p.127 and pl.18; [and]
another limestone eagle about life-size, found summer 1972
near forum of Corinium ... has most naturalistically sculptured feathers ...
(not yet published) ... probably carved in 2nd cent by ... highly trained
artist, probably from Gaul (Cirencester Museum)
- loc Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter: often on display
- subst Britannia 5, Bidwell, Toynbee, F. Griffith: PM
- date Fortress founded c.55-60 and abandoned c.75
(Bidwell 1980 p.39-40)
- cont
Frances Griffith, Devon County Archaeologist
- cont
John Allan, Curator, RAMM
-
-
- name Silchester Tyche or Tutela
- site
Silchester, in front of central apse of W face of basilica, 1869
- source
CSIRI 2 no.97
- publ Hope WHStJ, Fox GE 1893
p.558-9
- publ Joyce JC 1873 p.24
- publ Boon GC 1957 p.78, 98
- publ Boon GC 1973
- publ Boon GC 1974 59, 71, 116-119
- desc Statue (fragmentary) of City Tyche(?)
- desc Joyce: `colossal head of some Emperor [sic] much mutilated'
at main face of basilica
- desc CSIR: 3 frags of a statue which appear to have been shattered in
antiquity and damaged by fire. Each frag has a dowel hole to show how the
pieces were reassembled in antquity. Carved in the round, prob 2x lifesize
- desc Boon 1974 p.71: `bears signs of wanton damage inflicted and repaired';
p.119: `all we have apart from one or two lumps of damaged draperies
are two pieces from the head (pl.10) showing the mural crown which
characterises such personifications. Fox carefully marks the dowel-holes
in the fractured surfaces showing where repairs were executed after the
first destruction of the basilica ... impossible to tell whether this was
a standing or a seated figure; in either case one of the few known to have
been fabricated in Britain by a continental sculptor'.
- desc Boon 1974 note: see Pauly-Wissowa
2. VII. 1599 for other examples; origin of such statues, G. Ferguson.
Religions of the Roman Empire 84.
- desc [private]
- loc Reading Museum no.03700a-c
- subst Boon 1973 p.109:
Portland limestone
-
- name Silchester Sarapis
- site
Silchester, garden of Acre House in the modern village, c.1899
- source
CSIR I 2 no.112
- publ Hope WJStJ, Fox GE 1900,
p.110-111, fig.8,9
- publ Boon GC 1957
p.125-6, pl.13
- publ Boon GC 1973
- publ Boon GC 1974
p.31, 59, 119, 116-7
- publ Toynbee JMC 1962,
p.243, pl.145 no.11
- publ Toynbee JMC 1964,
p.93-95
- desc Head of Sarapis
- desc Nose broken off and beard or chin severely damaged. Sometime
used as a cheese-press weight and contains an iron insertion.
Height 325mm width 280mm, carved in the round
- desc [private]
- loc Reading Museum no.03703
- subst Boon 1973 p.109:
Portland limestone
-
- name Whitcombe Rider
- site Whitcombe Farm, 2 mi SE of Dorchester, ploughed up 1963,
near pre-Roman Iron Age cemetery
- source
CSIR I 2 no.114
- publ Wilson JR 1964,
p.172 and pl.15 no.19
- publ Farrar RAH 1964
- publ 1964, RB in 1963, JRS 54 p.172
- publ
RCHM 1970 p.619 and pl.228
- desc Votive relief of river god. Top and bottom gone, head
of rider weathered badly. H 600mm W 690mm D 190mm, relief carving
- loc Dorset Museum 1964.27.1, on display 2021 Sept. in People's gallery
- subst Dorset Museum: Portland limestone (PS)
- date C2-3AD
- comment Drew index gives
the acc.no. 1964.27
- comment Do not confuse with 'Whitcombe Warrior'
-
- cat Statue
- site
Dorchester, in the E wall of former brewhouse till 1946
- source
CSIR I 2 no.123
- publ none apart from CSIR as
cited p.35, pl.32
- desc Head, relief carving
- loc DCM, over entrance to library
- subst Portland limestone
-
- name Winterslow Head
- site Winterslow, near Salisbury
- source Beavis 1970 p.185
- publ Fowler PJ 1967 p.68
- desc Limestone sculpted head, in the makeup of a Roman road
- desc Beavis:
A damaged female bust, discovered in the makeup of a Roman
road near Salisbury, may represent a native goddess
- subst may be PL, because mentioned by Beavis
-
- site Sutton Mandeville near Salisbury
- source Beavis 1970 p.185
- desc Limestone sculpted head, built into the wall of a house
- subst may be PL, because mentioned by Beavis
-
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