8-5040 (previous museum number (recataloged from))
Accession number:
Acc.193
Description:
Cast of the Mattei Amazon. From the marble in the Vatican Museum. The Mattei statue is restored with both hands busy with a bow. The strap on the left foot is a spur strap. The bulk of the helmet, and the semilune shield are antique. Formerly in Villa Mateei; placed in the Vatican by Clement XIV. Gherardi took off the bow, and remodelled (sic) both arms to agree with a drawing (after Michaelis) supplied by Dr. A. Emerson. New: The right leg except the foot; both arms. The head is antique with restored nose, nether lip, and chin, but it does not belong to this statue. It did belong to one of the Sosikles type, and is the best extant head of that kind. Traces of color were formerly seen on the statue’s dress. Both spearwoman restorations are based on the testimony of antique gems. The Treves torso and a remnant of bow on ours show that the statue carried a bow tied under its quiver. the quiver still has the bow straps. Restorer made a rod of the bow. Otfried Muller and Furtwaengler have recognized a copy, in the Mattei Amazon, of the Ephesian one by Pheidias. Wolters disputes this attribution. Friederichs-Wolters 516. Furtwaengler, Masterpieces. Mahler. Also admits the Pheidian origin of the prototype. Furtwaengler finds only one antique head to match this statue, viz. a bronze one from Herculan at Naples.