January–April 1954

Curium 14 Feb 54

Dear Sue:

I'm glad that the addition to T 2034 interests you. I will undertake to make negatives (5" x 7") of it at various angles as soon as the sun permits, and to have it mounted so that it can be manipulated to suit the light. We've been having very cloudy weather, and I think you will be better satisfied if I wait until the sun decides to stay out for a while.

In the meantime I send the enclosed four Polaroid prints (George's Instantaneous camera, you know). I can't get a very close close-up with this machine, so the results will probably serve only to tantalize. But they give an idea, at any rate, of what it looks like.

Quoting from George's notebook as to the head: "1761. Terracotta figurine, solid, traces dark paint on eyes, brow & beard of youth - head only. Surface find. Apollo - not from excavations. April, 1951." Not much satisfaction to you, I fear.

My eye is untutored as to terres-cuites, but I take it to be (i.e., the head) hand-made. Total height of figure, including head, 0.245. The ears, nose, and mouth appear all to have been added separately. Only a bit of the side of the figure's left nostril. The hair, along the nose remains, along the side of the figure is rendered. The mouth and ears are only cursorily rendered. The hair, I think, was added separately like a tight fitting cap, bowl-style barbering coming to a rough point at the nape of the neck. Only the front hair above the brows is rendered: Widow's peak, vertical incisions ca 0.003 - 0.004 m. long. Widow's peak just to the left of the center of the figure's (the figure's) forehead. Incisions stop just in front of the ears. The eyes are protruding, elongated almond shaped. The appearance of the surface of the head is in every way similar to that of the body, except that the face itself has a smoother finish, no doubt attributable to the more careful attention paid to its modelling than to the rest of it. If there are points on which I can think of to tell you about it. If there are points on which you need to know, speak.

Many thanks for the reference to the article on the Stadium. I will see if the Cyprus Museum can supply. I am a little puzzled about the reference to Barnabas, but no doubt there is more than meets the eye. A.D. That is, I get the impression that Barnabas, of the 1st cent. A.D. is supposed to have seen the Stadium, built 2d cent. A.D. This is not a criticism, I'd just like to know.

Joe mentions that you asked earlier for 4 photographs showing a rider with a gorgon shield, one with the shield without demonstrate method of attachment of shield; and that he thinks T 2034 this request wasn't entirely carried out. When I am doing this soup too and send it along, if you wish. I may as well pop this into the soup too and send it along, if you wish.

I suspect the staff set ahead of me, not only on the antiquities