09-25-2005, 11:39 AM
Quote:Mike Bishop wrote :"Again, this relief can be explained by all the means that have been suggested so far, but it can equally be interpreted as a mail shirt (remember what Robinson said about depictions of these?) worn over scalloped lappets and pteryges."
Except that there appears to be a rather well defined belly button?
In a world where the sculptors of Trajan's Column were quite capable of putting mail texture onto the surface of lorica seg, confusion between muscle (whether they be of metal, hide, or anything else) and mail cuirasses could easily arise and the hellenising influences that lurked behind all representational art was capable of producing some unusual mutants. We have to remember that even the best sculptural reliefs (like Annaius Daverzus) are not photographs and we don't even know that these were done from life, or the degree of knowledge on the part of the sculpor. Are those scales or lappets? Does the artist have time (or even the inclination) to care?
All I'm saying is that it could indeed be a muscled cuirass, but it could equally be a mail cuirass. We can't tell from the sculpture, only speculate. Informed speculation is a worthwhile pursuit, but it is nevertheless speculation, not proof or fact.
Mike Bishop
