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The beautiful Head of Goddess Tyche from Corinth takes us back on a journey to Roman Greece.  Displayed as part of the exhibition titled ‘ΝοΗΜΑΤΑ’: Personifications and Allegories from Antiquity to Today at the Acropolis Museum, this Roman masterwork travelled to Athens from the Archaeological Museum of Corinth, offering a unique opportunity to explore the multifaceted world of art and personifications.

The Head of Tyche, as a beloved symbol of fortune and protection for cities, was part of the Exhibition’s 5^th Unit of ‘Institutions,’ where personifications and allegories that represent communal—not individual—human activities were presented. These are the activities of organized societies characterized by homogeneity and unity, embodying public, social, political, and civic life. This Exhibition Unit featured not only Tyche but also Themis, Justice, and Injustice, Eunomia (Order), Hybris and Punishment, Nemesis, along with personifications of the City, Demos, Senate, Gerousia, along with various Processions and Ceremonies. Each piece offered a glimpse into the institutions governing human societies, providing context to how the ancients envisioned the forces that shaped their world.

My favourite sculpture of Tyche dates from the 1^st century AD and comes from Corinth! Let’s explore the ‘who’, ‘which’, ‘how’, and ‘what’ of this amazing sculpture by posing some questions!

Who is Tyche? Tyche, the daughter of the Titans Tethys and Oceanus was a significant figure in both Greek and Roman mythology, embodying the concept of fortune—both good and bad—and destiny. She was revered as the tutelary deity who governed the fortune and prosperity of a city, its destiny, and the personal fortunes of its inhabitants.

How did the Greeks and the Romans perceive her? For the Greeks, Tyche, the daughter of the Titans Tethys and Oceanus, originally emerged as a relatively minor deity, but her importance grew over time, especially during the Hellenistic period following the conquests of Alexander the Great. In a world where cities could rise and fall quickly due to war, economic change, and political upheaval, Tyche began to be worshipped as a powerful protector of cities and a bringer of fortune. Greek cities would often depict Tyche with symbols of plenty, like a cornucopia, and sometimes featured elements like a mural crown (representing city walls) or a rudder (symbolizing navigation or control over fate). She was also occasionally depicted with a wheel, representing the unpredictability of fortune.

For the Romans, Tyche was assimilated into Roman culture as Fortuna, who became an immensely popular deity in her own right. The Romans expanded on the concept of Tyche/Fortuna, creating various aspects of the goddess to represent different types of luck and fortunes, such as Fortuna Redux (bringing one safely home), Fortuna Augusta (fortune of the emperor), and Fortuna Privata (personal fortune). Temples and shrines to Fortuna were common in Rome and throughout the Roman Empire, reflecting her integral role in both public and private life. Roman depictions of Fortuna included similar symbols as Tyche, with the addition of the wheel and the globe, underscoring her control over the circular nature of fate and the vastness of the empire.

In both cultures, Tyche/Fortuna was more than just a symbol of arbitrary events; she represented the idea that life’s fortunes are beyond human control, yet intimately involved in the everyday workings of both cities and individuals. Her worship indicates a kind of resignation to the unpredictability of life, but also an attempt to appease and gain favour from the forces believed to govern it.

What was the symbolic role of the Heads of Goddess Tyche during the Roman Empire? The Heads of Goddess Tyche, also known as Tyche Heads or City-Goddess Heads, were a common motif in the Roman Empire. These sculptures typically depicted the head of Tyche adorned with various symbols or attributes that represented the city she personified. One of the most distinctive features of these sculptures is the city mural crown, where the city’s walls were depicted as a crown adorning the head of Tyche. This imagery served not only as religious and artistic symbols but also as expressions of civic pride and identity. They reinforced the idea that the fate and prosperity of a city were closely tied to the favour of the gods, particularly Tyche, and they were often placed in prominent locations such as city squares or temples.

Which is my favourite Head of Goddess Tyche? It is a 1^st century AD fine crystalled white marble piece, discovered in Temple E, in ancient Corinth. Some scholars attribute it to Octavia, the sister of Augustus, although modern scholars have offered alternative suggestions.

How can this remarkable Head of Tyche be described? This is the striking portrayal, steeped in symbolism and artistry, of an almost life-sized head of an idealized woman. Wearing a mural crown adorned with a central gate, towers, slit windows and meticulously crafted coursed masonry, the woman’s head emanates a regal aura befitting its divine subject. Her hair, meticulously detailed with two rows of tight curls featuring drilled centers, gracefully frames her oval face from the forehead to the back of her ears, with a single lock before each ear and shorter locks behind the left ear sculpted in low relief. The top of her head exhibits intricate craftsmanship, worked with delicate precision. Her countenance, marked by a broad forehead and a narrow chin, is characterized by sharp brow ridges and upper lids, lightly incised irises, and drilled nostrils, evoking a sense of lifelike realism. The slightly open mouth, revealing a tongue, adds a touch of dynamism to the serene visage. Though the face is worked smoothly, it lacks a polished finish, with faint traces of rasping evident on the neck, underscoring the meticulous yet organic nature of its creation. This remarkable artefact not only offers a glimpse into the artistic mastery of ancient Corinthian craftsmen but also invites contemplation of the cultural and religious significance imbued within its form.

For a Student Activity, please… Check HERE!

Bibliography: https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en/noemata-exhibition and https://www.jstor.org/stable/147882  and https://www.jstor.org/stable/40514500?read-now=1&seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents The Goddess Tyche by Susan B. Matheson, Yale University Art Gallery Bulletin, An Obsession with Fortune: Tyche in Greek and Roman Art (1994), pp. 18-33 (16 pages)

In the Cretan Labyrinth built by Daedalus, King Minos walled up the twin form of bull and man, the Minotaur, and twice nourished it on Athenian blood, but the third repetition of the nine-year tribute by lot, caused the monster’s downfall. When, through the help of the virgin princess, Ariadne, by rewinding the thread, Theseus, son of Aegeus, won his way back to the elusive threshold, that no one had previously regained, he immediately set sail for Dia, stealing the daughter of Minos away with him, then cruelly abandoned his companion on that shore. Deserted and weeping bitterly, as she was, Bacchus-Liber brought her help and comfort. So that she might shine among the eternal stars, he took the crown from her forehead and set it in the sky. It soared through the rarefied air, and as it soared its jewels changed to bright fires, and took their place, retaining the appearance of a crown, as the Corona Borealis, between the kneeling Hercules and the head of the serpent that Ophiuchus holds. This is how Ovid presents one of my favourite Greek Myths, that of Theseus, Ariadne, and Dionysus. At Cluny vis-à-vis Ariadne, an early Byzantine ivory relief carving, I am astonished at how powerful her story is through the ages! https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/Metamorph8.php#anchor_Toc64106496

For thousands of years elephant tusks, the amazing cream-coloured ivory, were used as a carving material by humans to create small scale masterpieces… boxes, manuscript covers, precious fittings for furniture, jewelry, even sculptural pieces. During the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople emerged as a prominent center for ivory carving and became a hub for the production of highly valued and sought-after sophisticated ivory artworks.

Skilled artisans crafted exquisite ivory carvings using techniques such as relief carving and sculpting. These carvings were highly prized for their intricate details, delicate craftsmanship, and symbolic imagery. Ivory carvings from Constantinople showcased a variety of subjects, including religious scenes, mythological figures, portraits of emperors and aristocrats, and decorative motifs.

 At the Cluny Museum, the French Musée National du Moyen Âge in Paris, I sought out the famous Byzantine ivory piece of Ariadne, Maenad, Satyr, and Cupids. Most likely a decorative element of a piece of furniture, this elephant ivory statuette made in Constantinople in the early 6th century was found in a tomb in the Rhine valley, in the region of Trier, along with two lion heads in rock crystal.

The central figure of the composition, Ariadne, stands frontally in a contrapposto position, holding a thyrsus in her right hand and a bowl in her left, and she is crowned with a wreath by two cupids. She is looking majestic, dressed in a high-girt chiton that falls open to expose her right breast. Around her waist hangs a mantle and over her head is a veil. On the right side is a small figure of Pan. On the left, a small female figure, a maenad, wraps one arm around the bottom part of the thyrsus while holding what appears to be two small bells or castanets connected by a cord. It is important to note that the style of the relief, particularly the fine rendering of drapery, the wide-open eyes of the woman, and its classicizing themes points to high-end ivory carving typically found in Constantinople or Alexandria around the beginning of the sixth century AD. https://inpress.lib.uiowa.edu/feminae/DetailsPage.aspx?Feminae_ID=31952 and https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/Age_of_Spirituality_Late_Antique_and_Early_Christian_Art_Third_to_Seventh_Century pages 148-149

The ivory relief of Ariadne at the Cluny came from a tomb in the region of Trier, in Germany. It was, in most probability, part of the revetment of a luxury throne, that also included the unique rock-crystal lion heads exhibited in the Cluny Museum, and reputed to have been found together. One can only imagine the sumptuousness of the Trier throne! The use of precious materials, ivory, and rock crystal, for such a unique piece of furniture, and the virtuosity of craftmanship, makes it a singular 6th-century AD creation. If we compare it to the throne depicted on the diptych sheet of the consul Areobindus (in the Cluny as well) we can only marvel at the abundance and splendor of the time.

For a Student Activity, please… Check HERE!

I am still dreaming of Paris and the wonderful Exhibitions I saw! Today’s BLOG POST titled Perhaps… a Portrait of Hatshepsut! presents the Head of a Royal Figure of the New Kingdom era, the 18th Dynasty to be specific, that captured my eye and soul. It is exhibited at the Hôtel de la Marine, on the Place de la Concorde, in the heart of Paris, and it is part of the fabulous Al Thani Collection.

The Head of a Royal Figure is a testament to the skill of ancient Egyptian sculptors and their ability to capture the essence and power of their subjects. It is also a valuable artifact that provides insight into the art and culture of the New Kingdom period and the representation of pharaohs during this time.

This wonderful small jasper Royal Head was part of an ancient Egyptian composite statue, a type, that is, of sculpture that combines multiple elements to create a single figure. These statues were typically made of various materials, including stone, wood, and bronze, and were often created to represent gods, pharaohs, and other important figures in Egyptian society. The Al Thani Head of a Pharaoh would have been completed by a faience crown and the bronze beard of the god Osiris.

The Egyptian artist who created this Royal Head Figure used an exceptionally pure red jasper stone. Red Jasper is a variety of chalcedony, which is a mineral in the quartz family. It was a popular material used in ancient Egyptian sculpture, particularly during the New Kingdom period (1550-1070 BC). Often used to create small-scale figurines and amulets, like the Al Thani Royal Head, red jasper was believed to have protective and healing properties. It was also valued for its rich, warm color and smooth texture. Polished to a high sheen ancient Egyptian objects made of red jasper have an enduring beauty and power that continue to inspire people today.

The identity of the Pharaoh represented in the Al Thani Head of a Royal Figure is not absolutely clear. Carved in the 18th Dynasty, a high point of ancient Egyptian civilisation, this head is believed to depict either Queen Hatshepsut or King Thutmosis III. Its perfect state of preservation and outstanding artistic quality have earned this head a privileged place among sculpture of the New Kingdom.https://www.hotel-de-la-marine.paris/en/The-visit/The-visitor-circuits/La-visite/The-Al-Thani-Collection/Elements-Collection-Al-Thani/Repertoire-Highlights-Collection/Head-of-a-Royal-Figure

My personal wish… is that the Al Thani Egyptian Portrait represents Hatshepsut. I am particularly fond of this amazing woman… who ruled as any powerful pharaoh would during the 18th dynasty, accomplished successful military campaigns, finished ambitious building projects, like the funerary Temple at Deir el-Bahri, and undertook daring, explorative campaigns, like the expedition to the land of the Punt. The Al Thani Portrait depicts a Pharaoh with a round face, plump cheeks, large almond-shaped eyes, a straight nose slightly curved at the tip, and full lips. What a Portrait!!!

Representing Hatshepsut or Thutmosis III, the ancient Egyptian Royal Head is part of the fabulous Al Thani Collection. Since November 2021, highlights from The Al Thani Collection have been on public exhibition at a dedicated museum space at the Hôtel de la Marine in Paris. The Collection contains an exceptional array of artworks spanning the ancient world to the present day. Encyclopaedic in its approach, and representing a diverse range of cultures and civilisations, this extraordinary collection celebrates creativity and the universal power of art through the ages. I spent a fulfilling morning, dazzled, once more, by the ‘beauty’ of art! https://www.thealthanicollection.com/

For a Student Activity, inspired by today’s BLOG POST titled Perhaps… a Portrait of Hatshepsut! please… Check HERE!

“With the move to Amarna the art becomes less exaggerated, but while it is often described as ‘naturalistic’ it remains highly stylised in its portrayal of the human figure. The royal family are shown with elongated skulls and pear-shaped bodies with skinny torsos and arms but fuller hips, stomachs and thighs. The subject matter of royal art also changes. Although formal scenes of the king worshipping remain important there is an increasing emphasis on ordinary, day-to-day activities which include intimate portrayals of Akhenaten and Nefertiti playing with their daughters beneath the rays of the Aten… While traditional Egyptian art tends to emphasise the eternal, Amarna art focuses on the minutiae of life which only occur because of the light – and life-giving power of the sun.” writes Dr Kate Spence for BBC History and I use this quote as an introduction to Nofernoferuaton and Nofernoferure, my new POST on Egyptian Art.     http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/akhenaten_01.shtml

I would like to continue with another short quote by Dr Kate Spence “Akhenaten is a source of endless fascination and speculation – this often masks the fact that we actually know very little about him.” This quote marks the beginning of my Grade 7 Unit on the Art of the Amarna Period. I have been teaching this Unit for years and I can only testify to the fact that the Amarna Period allure attracts my student’s attention and captivates their imagination. They like to read and listen to their teacher describe the genesis of an almost “monotheistic” religion, the dynamics within a powerful royal family, the building of a new capital city, and how Egyptian Art of the period moved towards naturalism and informality.

The Amarna Idiom is an artistic style that captivates human reaction. My students are “hypnotized” by the unique Amarna pictorial beauty of deformation. They are charmed, yet question how in the depiction of faces, thin, long necks, hold greatly elongated skulls… facial folds are the norm, narrow, slitted eyes are prominent and jaws seem to be “hanging” low. The Amarna style body rendering amazes my students as well, particularly the discrepancy between the upper, lower and middle parts of the human body… the dropped, thin shoulders, heavy potbelly, large hips and thighs, and the rather thin, almost frail, legs.

At some point, towards the end of my Amarna Unit, I ran a survey, titled “My Favourite Amarna Work of Art,” as I am always interested to understand what artistic qualities attract the admiration of my students. Among the finalists in my survey is the fresco painting of Nofernoferuaton and Nofernoferure, coming from Akhenaton’s capital city Akhetaten, known today as Tell el- Amarna, and exhibited in the Ashmolean Museum. Students love the bright, warm, terracotta-coloured palette, the casual, relaxed composition theme, the depicted stylistic exaggerations, and the overall sense of family affection that embraces the pictorial arrangement.

This fresco, fragile and precious, was discovered in the early 1890s by William Flinders Petrie, the renown archaeologist, at Akhetaten, “The horizon of the Aten,” where the visionary Pharaoh Akhenaton lived with his queen, Nefertiti, their six daughters, Nofernoferuaton and Nofernoferure among them, and the rest of the royal family. “The painting was made on a thin layer of gesso – powdered gypsum mixed with a glue – applied to mud plaster on a brick wall… (Petrie) discovered that the wall had been much damaged by ants and its preservation is a tribute to Petrie’s remarkable skills as an archaeologist.” https://www.ashmolean.org/princess-fresco     and     https://www.amarnaproject.com/pages/amarna_the_place/central_city/index.shtml

Unearthed in the King’s House, “an enclosure measuring 123 by 140 meters, inside of which the building took the form of a U around a garden, with the actual residence of the king at the rear,” the Princess’s fresco depicts “Akhenaten and Nefertiti relaxing with their daughters, two of which are sitting casually on floor cushions in the foreground. The red sash of Nefertiti’s dress falls behind them, and to the right are Akhenaten’s sandaled feet. Between them stand three more daughters; the sixth daughter was probably shown seated on her mother’s lap, as suggested by a surviving fragment depicting a baby’s hand. The style and subject of this painting are in direct contrast to conventional Egyptian art and reflects the revolutionary character of the period.” Simply but beautifully said…     http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/royalestate.htm     and     https://www.ashmolean.org/princess-fresco

For a PowerPoint on Nofernoferuaton and Nofernoferure, please… Check HERE!

For a Student Activity, please… Check HERE!

If interested in smart Amarna period Resources and Activities, please… Check https://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/current-projects/life-ancient-egypt-amarna-resources-schools/ancient-amarna  

“In December 1826, the German merchant and art collector Johannes David Weber (1773–1847) wrote to the younger Venetian jurist and local antiquarian Emanuel Antonio Cicogna (1789–1869) about two stone pillars on the south side of the Church of San Marco in Venice… With Weber’s letter begins the modern study of what came to be known as the PilastrιAcritni, the pillars of Acre, because Weber and many before him regarded them as trophies of the Venetian defeat of the Genoese at Acre in the mid-thirteenth century. Decorated with vine ornament, crosses, and Greek monograms, the piers are simple, if imposing, monoliths that have few overt clues to their origin; hence, the problem that Weber’s letter sought to solve. In 1960, the Venetian historiographic tradition that Weber represents was overturned by the discovery of the sixth-century Church of Hagios Polyeuktos in Istanbul. Its subsequent excavation proved that the piers came from this site, most likely in the aftermath of the Venetian-led Fourth Crusade that sacked Constantinople in 1204…” A straightforward introduction by Robert Nelson, I humbly borrow, for my new POST, Pilastri Acritani and European 19th century Art.     https://www.academia.edu/3585135/_The_History_of_Legends_and_the_Legends_of_History_The_Pilastri_Acritani_in_Venice_in_H_Maguire_and_R_Nelson_eds_San_Marco_Byzantium_and_the_Myths_of_Venice_Washington_D_C_Dumbarton_Oaks_Research_Library_and_Collection_63_90

“The Pilastri Acritani (‘Pillars of Acre’) are two elaborately decorated pillars,” writes David Hendrix in Byzantine Legacy “near the southern side of the Basilica of San Marco in Venice. The pillars are among the many spoils looted in the sack of Constantinople in 1204. They were also considered by John Ruskin to be the two most noble pillars in Venice. As their name suggests, they were long regarded as trophies of the Venetian defeat of the Genoese in Acre. In 1960, excavations in Istanbul proved that they originated from the Church of Hagios Polyeuktos. Decorated with vine ornament, crosses, and Greek monograms, the pillars share features of other architectural remains found in the excavation which can now be found at the Istanbul Archaeological Museums. Most likely they were brought back to Venice after the sack of Constantinople in 1204. The area around the Church of Hagios Polyeuktos became of the Venetian sector of Constantinople, which was centered at the nearby Pantokrator Monastery…”     https://www.thebyzantinelegacy.com/pilastri-acritani

I enjoyed reading…     “The History of Legends and the Legends of History: The ‘Pilastri Acritani’ in Venice,” in H. Maguire and R. Nelson, eds., San Marco, Byzantium and the Myths of Venice, Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 63-90 and “Pilastri Acritani” in Byzantine Legacy. Both articles/presentations intrigued my curiosity to find 19th-century European artworks inspired by the amazing Constantinopolian treasures in the Basilica of San Marco in Venice. I searched the Internet and here is what I discovered… I am sure there is more, maybe another time another day… 

For a PowerPoint on the Pilastri Acritani and European 19th century Art, please… Check HERE!