Hippokamp

Hippokamp, property of the Stiftung Hamburger Kunstsammlungen, Nenfro-Tuff, Nenfro-Tuffgestein, chiseled, Total: Height: 80 cm; Width: 117 cm; Depth: 19 cm, funerary monument, Hippokamp, Etruscan, This masterly sculpture shows a Hippokampen, a mixed creature, according to ancient tradition a horse, which resembles a sea monster from the chest (Pausanias II 1,9). Even in its slightly fragmented state, the figure achieves an extraordinary monumentality. It was once a tomb guard, which was placed in front of a tomb to prevent any unauthorized entry. The slender but angular front legs of the kneeling Hippokampen stand in deliberate contrast to the mighty, snake-shaped fish body, which ends in a broad, forked tail fin. The powerful front-body tapers to a narrow, straight neck, that is framed by a long, sweeping mane with parallel arranged strands. From the beginning of the front-legs, a fin grows narrowly at the body on each side, another sits on the underside of the fish-body. Originally, there were also two fins on the back, of which, however, only remains have been preserved. A bulge-shaped line marks the sinews of the front-legs, limits the flippers and divides the fish-body. The porous stone was originally covered with a thin layer of stucco, still visible in traces, which served as the basis for a colorful painting. (Photo by: Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)