XLV
THE TERRA-COTTA FIGURES
The number of terra-cottas found in Babylon is enormous. Including very small fragments, it exceeds 6000. Those of the early Babylonian period are not so numerous as those of the Middle, the Neo-Babylonian, and finally of the Graeco-Parthian periods. The style of the latter entirely supersedes the Babylonian, although the types are on the whole retained. Any figures modelled by hand are rare. We will here describe the main characteristics of those that were moulded, of which all that fall within the same group naturally display a great resemblance to each other. The great mass of them exemplify only a few types, they are almost all of them worked merely on one side, and the female figures greatly exceed the male figures in number.
1. The nude female figures with the hands folded in each other below the breast we have already (p. 65) observed as probably representing Ninmach (Fig. 202). The abundant wavy hair falls on the shoulders. She always wears a necklace of several rows, and has numerous anklets and bracelets. In the rounded, full-moon countenance we can recognise the Babylonian standard of beauty which occurs in all female figures. The type goes back to the early Babylonian period, as is seen in Fig. 203; here the rolled-up locks, when seen full face, appear like round discs.
Fig. 202.—Female figure with folded hands (Ninmach?).
Fig. 203.—Woman with folded hands, old Babylonian style.
Fig. 204.—Woman and child.
2. A nude female figure with a child at her breast (Gula?) also occurs very frequently. The arrangement of the hair is the same, but the figure is entirely without ornaments (Fig. 204). This type survived into the Graeco-Parthian period, but it is then clothed, and a fillet is added to the hair (Figs. 205, 206).
3. A second rarer figure of a woman and child represents her with her legs crossed beneath her and sitting on a cushion; the lower part of the body at least appears to be clothed (Fig. 207).
4. There are numerous examples of a nude woman with widely spread elbows, laying her hands on her breasts. Those that are entirely early Babylonian are wearing a necklace, the Graeco-Parthian examples have in addition a diadem and ear-rings (Figs. 208–210).
Fig. 205.—Woman and child, Graeco-Parthian style.
Fig. 206.—Woman and child, Graeco-Parthian style.
Fig. 207.—Seated woman and child.
Fig. 208. Woman with hands supporting breasts.
Fig. 209. Woman with hands supporting breasts.
5. By far the most common type is that of a nude woman with arms hanging down, perhaps a second form of Gula (cf. p. 234). She is usually without ornaments, her hair and figure are similar to the others (Fig. 211).
6. These five female deities are at present only counterbalanced by three male types, at least so far as moulded terra-cottas are concerned. The first is a standing bearded man clothed in a long flounced garment, who holds a small vase to his breast with both hands. We have already attempted (p. 234) to identify him with Ninib. He is distinguished from Anu, who also holds a circular vessel with both hands, by the overflowing water that is pouring out of the vessel held by the latter. Of Anu we have in addition to seals a terra-cotta finely modelled by hand, with a great horned hat (Fig. 212).
7. The second male type is less common. The hands are folded on the breast like Ninmach, and the flounced garment and arrangement of the hair are exactly the same as No. 6. It is possible that we may find it surviving in a rare Parthian type (Figs. 213, 214).
Fig. 210.—Woman with hands supporting breasts, Graeco-Parthian style.
Fig. 211.—Woman with arms hanging down.
8. The only seated divinity is represented as a man with an unusually long beard, wearing a flounced garment, and holding some object in his left hand which it has not been possible to identify from the few specimens found; the right hand rests on the right knee (Fig. 215). The temple statue of Marduk in Esagila, according to Herodotus (i. 183), was also depicted as sitting, a resemblance with this type which can hardly be regarded as merely accidental.
Fig. 212.—Male figure with goblet (Anu?).
Fig. 213.—Man with folded hands.
Fig. 214.—Man with folded hands, Parthian style.
Fig. 215.—Bearded male figure, seated (Marduk?).
Fig. 216.—Man with flower in his hand.
Fig. 217.—Woman with flower in her hand.
9. Of the Parthian period there are numerous examples of a standing man with a flower in the right hand, which is laid on the breast; the left hand is hanging down and holds a wreath (?). He is clothed in a sleeved garment that reaches to the knees, and wears trousers; in addition he has a cloak with a hood that covers his head and chin, leaving his moustache visible; round his hips is a girdle with the ends hanging down. The cross ribbing on the sleeves and trousers is characteristic of this period (Fig. 216).
Fig. 218.—Woman holding palm branch (?).
Fig. 219.—Woman holding palm branch (deity?).
Fig. 220.—Woman holding palm branch, Greek style.
10. The female figure corresponding to this male type also holds a flower in the right hand on the breast, and a wreath in the left hand that hangs down, but the hood leaves the round hairless face uncovered; long ringlets fall over the shoulders, and the sleeved garment is tucked up above the knees and confined below the waist with a girdle. The legs are bare (Fig. 217).
11. A rare type that belongs to the same period is the figure of a man in exactly the same clothing, but with the arms crossed on the breast.
12. A clothed figure of a woman with Babylonian characteristics (Fig. 218) holds an upright palm branch (?) in her left hand. Some strands of hair hang down her cheeks; the right hand is laid on the breast. The same type occurs also roughly worked as an idol (Fig. 219), as well as in good Greek workmanship (Fig. 220).
Fig. 221.—Terra-cotta amulet.
Fig. 222.—Musician with double flute.
Fig. 223.—Lute-player.
Fig. 224.—Lute-player.
13. A head of appalling horror is either bored through at the top to be worn as an amulet or hollowed out at the throat to be fixed on to a stick. Two cross-ribbed horns stretch from the forehead over the skull; the goggle eyes are widely open; the gaping muzzle shows all the teeth, including four powerful canines. The bristly beard is either represented by short locks or indicated by rows of holes in the smooth lower jaw (Fig. 221).
Fig. 225.—Woman with harp.
Fig. 226.—Woman with tambourine.
Fig. 227.—Woman reclining.
Fig. 228.—Woman reclining.
Fig. 229.—Pottery mask.
14. Musicians were less frequently represented in the Babylonian period than in the Greek period. They play the double flute (Fig. 222) which is in use among the Arabs at the present day and known as the mutbak; the panpipe, a long lute with smaller or wider sounding-board (Figs. 223, 224); the oriental harp (Fig. 225), the tambourine (Fig. 226), the cithara, and other instruments which will afford an interesting study for connoisseurs of musical instruments.
15. The figure seated on the censer has already (p. 257) been described, also.
16. The ape (p. 234).
17. Female figures, clothed and lying on the left side, belong exclusively to the Greek and Parthian periods. With the left arm they support themselves on a cushion, and the right arm rests on the hips. Like similar figures in alabaster (Fig. 132), they are frequently found in the graves (Figs. 227, 228).
Fig. 230.—Pottery mask.
18. From the later graves come pottery masks with holes round the edge by which they could be affixed to a binding of some material. Many of these masks, with wide-open mouth and eyebrows drawn together in grief, have the characteristics of professional mourners (Figs. 229, 230). Satyrs, cupids, etc., also appear as masks.
Fig. 231.—Greek terra-cotta.
Fig. 232.—Greek terra-cotta.
19. The number of Greek genre figures in terra-cotta is very remarkable. In great measure they recall those of Tanagra and Myrina. They are mostly of women and girls in ample clothing, and their inimitable grace is almost as remarkable in the slightly executed examples as in those of the finest and most careful workmanship (Figs. 231–233). These inexpensive and charming figures, with the respective details of position, drapery, and head-dress in never-ending variety, as well as the costly and important examples, were widely distributed over the city in inexhaustible abundance. A small winged cupid was popular as a jar handle (Fig. 234).
20. The figures of horsemen we have already (p. 235) described.
Fig. 233.—Greek terra-cotta.
Fig. 234.—Cupid as a jar handle.
We have thus enumerated some of the principal types from among the very large number of small objects already found on the actual inhabited site of Merkes, and this slight review of the luxuries and requirements and the relative artistic feeling of the citizens of Babylon must suffice for the present, until the material can be spread out and further examined, when a more complete description may be rendered possible.