MaltaToday previous editions

MaltaToday 10 May 2020

Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1245222

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 37 of 47

maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 MAY 2020 6 CULTURE HISTORY AS part of its mission to make cultural heritage accessible to the public, Heritage Malta has introduced to its website a cu- mulative catalogue of the Greco-Roman sculptures which form part of the Maltese National Collections, currently under its care. Each item in the catalogue is accom- panied with detailed research presented by Anthony Bonanno, Professor of Archaeol- ogy at the University of Malta. Although originally Roman sculptors were known for copying earlier Greek masterpieces, in time, they have contrib- uted great works in their own right. Most of the artworks which are presented in this catalogue were recovered in 1881 during archaeological excavations at the site of the Roman Domus in Rabat, Malta. The provenance of the rest is unknown, but a number of them point out to Gozo. The material of these artworks ranges from limestone to coarse grain white mar- ble, to fine and very fine grain white mar- ble. Yet each of these artworks have their own story to tell. The somewhat friable limestone bearded head of a satyr, or more probably a cen- taur, bears traces of dark brown paint on his large right pointed ear. The expression of anger imparted by the open mouth and bared irregular teeth, as well as the wide- open eyes, accentuate the wild nature of the figure. Possibly, this life-size head was carved locally. This limestone head stood for some time on a wall of a farmhouse in the immediate vicinity of Calypso's Cave, overlooking Ramla Bay. So it could easi- ly have originated from the Roman villa which was discovered in the same bay. The portrait bust together with the rest of the upper torso of a young lady were carved in a single piece of very fine grain white marble. Her triangular shaped face and her characteristic hairstyle are typical of the Julio-Claudian family. This artwork is considered as a highly accomplished piece of art and probably dates to around 50 AD. It was recovered in 1881 during archaeological excavations of the Roman Domus in Rabat, Malta. These sculptures are exhibited at the Na- tional Museum of Archaeology in Valletta, at the Gozo Museum of Archaeology in the Citadel of Victoria, and at the Domvs Ro- mana Museum in Rabat, Malta. Although these museums are currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the public is invited to view and learn about this capti- vating collection at https://www.heritage- malta.org/classicalsculpture. History etched in stone Limestone head of satry or centaur Portrait bust of young lady

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of MaltaToday previous editions - MaltaToday 10 May 2020