Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 25. (1996)
I. Arheologie
28 ADRIAN HUSAR, NICOLETA MAN 2. Art Besides the epigraphical pieces, the products of Roman provincial art frame out a revealing image of the spiritual life. In this respect, the statues and the funerary monuments -relevant to the tastes and the possibilities of the inhabitants of Criste§ti- occupy a considerable place. Thus, the statuaria is illustrated at Criste§ti by some works of good artistical level: a limestone statue representing Jupiter on his throne (the iconographic type Jupiter tronans or Verospi38 39 -Pl.VI. 1 a-b), the alabaster head of Juno40 and a white marble torso. The stone statuettes -ex-votos with deity’s image41- are also well represented. To this category belongs an alabaster fragmentary statuette representing Liber Pater(?)42 or, maybe, Hercules Bibax (Pl.VI.5), the marble head of Liber Pater as Apollo Lybeios43 (Pl.VI.4) and a statuette of a genius of plenty44 (PI.VI.3). There is no doubt that, in the modest dwellings, the little figurines of deities are made of burnt-clay, the local coroplastics manufacturing numerous terracotta statuettes of the kind - Juno, Hygia Silenus45 etc. Moreover, there are known in Criste§ti certain iconographic representations on burnt-clay moulds. Thus, the mould of a votive tablet represents Liber Pater46, and another -in the shape of a medallion-, the bust of Serapis47. If the statues of high artistic skill -the head of Juno, for instanceproceeded from import, the funerary monuments illustrate the activity of the local lapicides and of the itinerant artisans, as well. Indeed, at Criste§ti there are well represented several categories of funerary monuments such as aediculae, stelae, medallions48. 38 A.Zrinyi, op.cit., p.94, pl.XLIX/4. 39 D.lsac, in ActaMN, XI, 1974, p.76-77, pl.ll/3 a-b. 40 O.FIoca, op.cit., p.8-9. 41 Concerning the deity-representation as cult-image, see M.Bärbulescu, Interference spirituale in Dacia romanä, Cluj-Napoca, 1984, p.104-105. 42 C.Pop, in ActaMN, VII, 1970, p.152, nr.4. 43 Unpublished, Muzeul Judetean Mure§, nr.inv.4303 -which determination owes to AI.Diaconescu. 44 A.Zrinyi, op.cit., p.98, pl.L. 45 C.Pop, in Apulum, VI, 1967, p. 178, nr. 11, fig.11. 46 Idem, in Apulum, X, 1972, p.176-178, nr. 1, fig.6. 47 Al.Popa, in StCom, 12, 1965, p 231-232, fig.1. 48 Lucia Teposu Marinescu, Funerary Monuments in Dacia Superior and Dacia Porolissensis, in BAR, International Series, 128, Oxford, 1982, where are presented 8 stelae, 3 medallions and 9 lateral walls of aediculae from Criste§ti
