Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-18

t1cnc0 Ht.turs 'sest nave NOW described
and the Muse converted into Vestal are the |
only statues Of average life size-i. e.. . fcet |
4 inches--among the many discovered. The |
others arc from 8 TO Is inches above the or |
dipary height OF women.
Next may be placed the last OF the statues
found. OF which, however. the lower nor |
tions from below the hins and the forearms |
nre wanting In every other respect Il u |
periect. The face, which Is singularly |
free from injury, Il that OF q woman OF |
some fifty years OF age, OF elm, dignifc1, |
even severe pression-evidcnlly perfect
likeness. replcte with individuality, & being
admirably modelled. All those delicate
gradaiions, marking the approach Of age in
the face OF a weil-nurtured woman, are rem
dered with knowledge and feeling.
The refined, slightly Roman nose and
nostris are delicately cut, rs are also
the ears, in carving which the sculptor
must have had no little dillicnlty, because
of the drapery falling from the head on to
the front OF the SHOULDERS. This face i
worthy OF an art students observation.
The drrss Of this Vestal /, perhaps the most
important illustration OF the Vesiars attire
these statues give. The hair, with a slight
division III the middle. Is turned straight
back in complete roll OF full an inch in
diameter, and az abOu, half an inch behind
that Eve folds or turns OF the iuiula lie on
the head one behind the other, like a
can made OF cords. eacn Is thick a. liz.
tie finger. The rest Of the head is covered
with the pallium. which descends in from.
OF the LETT shoulder aud behind the riga,
ard that side Of II Is then carried Ia large
folds across the lover part OF the body and
over the left arm. On the head again, over
the plllium, is Il kind Of wimple. which falls
on to the shoulders and is fastened with a
round brooch or balla at the pit OF tue neck,
and ends all around in hOrizontl line,
broken only by small folds. This Is cyi-
IDENTIFY the peculiar he1d-dress worn in
sacrificing. called the sulbulum. and il IA
the only example Of IL these statues pre-
sent. The infula, as these statues all
show, was a plain rOll-the mltcrial
was wool-wound round the head sew
eral times, and then brought forward from
the back IN the form Of loops, falling on 10
the breast, one from each side Of the neck.
Bat these loops would seem 10 have been
an indication of rank in ;he order, for thiS
Vesia had "a double loop on each side OF
hers, while others had single loops o1ly,
and some appear to have had the inlu'a
wound only round the head. ! may men,
ton he'e that the stole OF these VestaB
arc fastened round the waist by q cord sim
liar 20 that worn by franciscan nuas, and
tied in front by 4 single bow with one
loon. but on this statue the cord l. tied In
knot with two short, loose ends.
Following these in order J should be in
clincd % place together two statues which
have all the appearance oi being by the
same hand, and may both. perhaps, have
been portraits Of one o. those Nestals ID
whom several statues were erected. The
etoia OF each Is fastened at the waist with
| the cord tied In a sIngla bow, and, Is in
| all the others, the pailium Is carried
across from the right 20 the LETT
! side and over that arm. The drlpery,
! though somewhat hammered. Is well un-
dcrstood, and apart from the differences be-
| tween the one statue and the other, IN the
! east Of the pailium especially, the treatment
| ~ the folds is identical. The heads Of both
! have. together with the fOrearms, been
| broken of. They are larger than any oil
| the others; one measures feet Inches
from the feet to the pit OF the neck, and the
| other feet 6 inches. Both bear traces Oh
having been polished, and are IN Parlan
1 marble OF the finest quality.
Next must be placed the first OF the sta
/ tues found, and, all allowance being made
the work OF a master. and without dOIbt
presents an example OF the best style OF arr
I Of, It nav he cOnjectured. about the end OF
the first third o. the third century. IL is
! perfect in every respect excepting only the
| nose. both forearms, and the point Of the
| left foot The face, that OF n woman OF
| about thirty years, shows much personal
/ beauty. II is full OF individuality, and,
/ iuJOinfr from fire cain, benevolent cN
| preston. As OF one devoted 10 holy
/ duties. this Nestal. whichever she may have
: been OF those whose name. the lnScrip-
| tons have revealed to u, may well have
| mcrited the titles OF Sanct>sima, hellSinsis-
Sima. PiissIma. and the Ike. attributed 70
mos OF them. She stands with the weight
/ q her body resting on the left le-, the rlght
/ heel raised, and that knee bent Forward.
! Her RIGHT arm is extended somewhat out
/ ward and downward; there are portions Of
| two horizontal supports projecting from
! That side, indicating some object. possibly
/ an altar. standing by her, and a. her head j.
B turned to the right with the look downward
following the hand, she was possibly repre-
scried pouring Il liba.on. On her head
/ four rolls OF the infula are visible from be-
meath the pallium. which tails over the lcit
/ shoulder aud behind the right, whence 1t
j. carried under the arm and across The
body. which il covers from lust below the
cord about the waist TO a little above the
instep, and is gathered over the LETT fore
! arm. The arms Of this NcStll. as app1-
rently Of all. were bare from above the
/ elbow. This statue, which measures feet
4 . inches in height. is Sculptured in Pirian
marble OF surprising beauty and purity.