Vases Fragment of a Votive Relief with Griffins
Fragment of a Votive Relief with Griffins

Fragment of a Votive Relief with Griffins

second half of 4th century B.C.
At the right of this relief fragment, a griffin begins to walk up a sloped landscape. The body of the beast is in profile, the head is turned back. The proper right wing is outstretched. There are two teats identifying this griffin as female. At the left of the relief are the hind leg, tail, and the tips of the wing of a second griffin. The ends of the feathers of the wings of both griffins are carved in shallow work onto the background of the relief. On this relief, there must have been two approximately symmetrical griffins, looking back towards each other.

On the bottom edge, a fragmentary inscription in two lines reads:
]ΡΟΣ [vacat
]ΑΚΙΑ ΑΘ[Η]ΝΑΙΔ[

Griffins are related to the god Apollo and, on grave monuments, to hopes for the well-being of the deceased in the afterlife. This relief may have been erected in honor of the god Apollo.
Date
second half of 4th century B.C.
Culture
Greek (Attic)
Dimensions
H: 19.00 cm W: 24.00 cm
Medium
Marble
Museum
J. Paul Getty Museum
Accession Number
81.AA.50
Image Source
getty_cc0
Images courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (CC0)