Image from Svoronos

Left: Votive relief showing a hero, perhaps Kephalos, seated on a rock, fa...

Collection: Athens, National Archaeological Museum
Title: Votive relief to a hero
Context: Possibly from Attica
Findspot: Probably found in Attica
Summary: A hero, perhaps Kephalos, seated on a rock, facing a worshipper (?)
Object Function: Votive
Material: Marble
Sculpture Type: Stele, relief-decorated
Category: Separated fragments
Style: Early Classical
Technique: Low relief
Original or Copy: Original
Date: ca. 450 BC - ca. 425 BC
Dimensions: H. 0.495 m; W. 0.45 m
Scale: Miniature (pictorial field)
Region: Attica
Period: Classical


Subject Description: A youthful hero sits in near profile to the right on a rock, on which he rests his right hand. He holds a staff in his upraised left hand, and wears a himation draped around his lower body and legs, which falls back over his upper left arm. He faces a male figure shown at much smaller scale (probably therefore a worshipper), who stands in 3/4-view to the left, holding a staff (?), and wearing a chlamys.

Form & Style: The relief decorates the top of a simple, unframed stele.

Condition: Single piece

Condition Description: Only the top left corner is preserved. The right corner and the lower (?) left corner have been filled in with modern plaster, so that it is indeterminate how tall the relief was.

Material Description: Pentelic, according to Svoronos

Inscription: A dedicatory inscription, the left portion of which is missing, is placed below the relief. [...]*R*A*T*E*S *K*A*I *D*E*M*O[...]*I*M**U*L*O*U *U*I*H *A*N*E[...].

Sources Used: Karouzou 1968, 132-33; Svoronos 1903-12, pl. 77