Alba Regia. Annales Musei Stephani Regis. – Alba Regia. Az István Király Múzeum Évkönyve. 21. 1981 – Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei: C sorozat (1984)

Bronzes romains figurés et appliqués et leurs problémes techniques. Actes du VIIe Colloque International sur les bronzes antiques - Barr-Sharrar, B.: Two Roman decorative busts in the Metropolitain Museum, New York. p. 25–29. t. X–XV.

cast with the busts. Obviously initially conceived and manufactured as pole attachments, they have a different appearance and seem manifestly later in style. Such decorative busts can be dated without hesitation into the second century A.D., probably to the first half. It is entirely possible that the decoration of wagon pole attachments with decorative busts, a practice which apparently began in Thrace and elsewhere at this time, was inititiated with the conversion of fulcrum busts to this purpose by the fitting and soldering of an additional piece, as illustrated by the Leningrad Silenus. This would explain why the shapes of the busts used for this purpose so closely follow those of the decorative busts used on klinai. Comparison of the Leningrad bust to a second Silenus bust from Pompeii (Naples National Museum, Inv. 5153; Height 8,8 cm.) (PL XI, 4) which has an increased calligraphic quality in the definition of the face

—notably the straightening out of the beard curls into parallel lines

— and drier modeling, may perhaps lend some support to the proposal of an Augustan date for the Leningrad Silenus. Nevertheless, that date must remain tentative. A large (12 cm. high), beautifully modeled bust from the city of Lixus, destroyed in 40 A. D., (PL XII, 1) together with other busts from North Africa published by С Pi ccot —Boube (Piccot—Boube 1960, 219, pi. XI, 2. Musée de Tétouan) demonstrates the development of a new animation in the Silenus bust in the first half of the first century A. D. which suggests on a superficial level the pathos of the original Hellenistic type. The round face is thrown slightly back with an upward gaze, and the expression projects an appealing, but somewhat artificial, personality which mimics the seriousness of the prototypical Silenus. The mannered posture of a Silenus from Volubilis (Musée des Antiquités pre-Islamiques, Rabat, i

nv

. V 120; Height 19 cm.; RA, 1948, 1004, fig. 3; Piccot-Boube 1960, 283—284, no.68) (PL XII, 2) may be described as baroque. He originally held something in his lowered right hand, perhaps a full wine skin which he held at the top with his left hand. The facial expression is theatrical, with open mouth, and the features have an almost porcine exaggeration : small broad nose, bulbous at the end with wide nostrils. The beard curls hang in rather mechanical obedience to gravity. A bust in the Walters Art Gallery (Inv. no. 54.878 ; Height 10,2 cm.) (PL XII, 3) has the agitated pathos and somewhat attitudinizing posture of the head of the Lixis bust, which it resembles to such an extent that a North African origin may be considered for the Walters bronze, although the place of manufacture for both may have been elsewhere. It can be placed with it to within the first half of the first century A.D., perhaps more precisely to the second or third quarter of the century. Both of these busts have less feeling for the organization of mass than earlier examples of Silenoi, including the Pompeiian and Leningrad busts. A bust in the Cabinet des Médailles (BABELON

—BIANCHET 1895, no. 394; Height 8,2 cm) (PL XII, 4) with the same pose is similar in its miniaturistic quality and impressionistic modeling to the Metropolitan Museum bust (PL X, 1) and forms a link to it from the Walters Art Gallery bust, as comparison suggests. The exaggerated width and roundness of the face recalls the extravagantly gesturing two-armed Volubilis Silenus. The eyes of this bust are inlaid with silver, the pupils hollowed for the insertion of another material, and the lips are copper. A Silenus bust in the Cleveland Museum (Inv. no. 74.88. Height, 11 cm.; Kozloff 1980,217—219) (PL XIII, 1) may also be considered in this context; its similarity to both the Cabinet des Médailles bust and the Metropolitan Silenus are apparent. Mass has been broken up into details with the resulting elimination of all genuine reference to the Hellenistic prototype. Notably including the Metropolitan Silenus, these three are among the finest of this type. All examples of this highly decorative type, I believe, may be dated to the end of the first century A.D. or early in the second century A.D. All were undoubtedly designed to decorate the lower ends of kline fulcrum attachments. Although the species continued in provincial areas, the more or less progressive decrease the animating force of the original tradition ends with these examples. These descendants of the Hellenistic decorative Silenus bust continued in their original function as kline decorations probably no later than the last years of the first century A.D., except possibly in distant areas of the empire, where styles may have changed more slowly. It is notable, however, that only one S-shaped fulcrum attachment —on which such busts were placed — which can be dated into the second century A.D., has survived. (Greifenhagen 1968, 163, fig. 13, no. 29). The second decorative bust in the Metropolitan Museum — also Dionysiac and also Roman

—is a satyr boy (Inv. 17. 230.25, Rogers Fund 1917. Height 14cm.;Mercklin 1933,96; Greifenhagen 1968, 160) (PL XIII, 2). Following the bust of the Silenus, Artemis and Dionysus, this was the subject fourth in popularity for the ornamentation of Hellenistic and Roman klinai. This bust is almost frontal with a smooth, cool modeling of forms and notable simplification of detail, particularly in the garment. It is similar in these and other aspects of style to a satyr bust found with a Thracian wagon in southeastern Bulgaria (National Museum of Sofia. See Mercklin 1933, 96; also AA, 1910, col. 401, fig. 11; Venedikov 1960, 63, no. 324, pi. 53, fig. 180.) (PLXIII, 3). Both of these busts have nearly frontal shoulders with a goat skin tied in the front and a display of fruits held in a fold of the skin. In both, the right hand originally held some attribute, probably a kantharos. In both, the head is turned to the figure's left and both have silver inlaid eyes with hollows for inlaid pupils, now lost. The Metropolitan version has copper inlaid lips. While the Bulgarian bust

—now in the museum in Sofia

— reveals characteristics close to the Metropolitan example, the head of the Bulgarian bust is raised higher than the other, with a pronounced upward gaze and more alert expression

—horizontal lines on the forehead suggesting the intensity of glance

—and a slightly open mouth. The Metropolitan bust has a more severe, somewhat frowning expression. Nevertheless, they must be very close in both time and origin. The Metropolitan satyr boy has a broad face with closeset eyes which slant down slightly at the outside corners. The nose is broad at the nostrils. He has tall, pointed animal ears and small horns at his temples. His hair is designed 27