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STA 1. Statuette of Eros and Psyche.
Present location: Naval Museum, Capo Colonna.
Description: This small sculptural group is well preserved, with few signs of marine
encrustation. Eros lacks the head and part of his left arm, Psyche the right arm; Eros once
had wings of which only the attachments survive. The base has angular cornices and four
protruding square feet.
P. Orsi does not mention this find among the material he catalogued in 1909 and
1915, and it is indeed proven that the sculpture was recovered from the bay of Punta Scifo
in 1968 by local fishermen. 345 The Marquis Armando Lucifero bought the sculpture and
donated it to the Archaeological Museum of Croton sometime before 1976. 346 In 1978, P.
Pensabene saw in this representation of Eros and Psyche, a small, unfinished statuette. In
his point of view the plinth, the hair and himation of Psyche, and Eros’ legs, had been left
thicker than usual in order to make the artifact sturdier for transportation. C. Moss,
however, disagrees with Pensabene and notes how the figures, even if superficially
executed, display well-finished and almost polished surfaces. He sees, therefore, in this
object not a statuette but rather a trapezophoros, a supporting pillar for a marble table
which, due to its function, did not have to be perfectly finished. Considering that the
shipwreck’s cargo contained at least two marble slabs that could serve as table tops, Moss’
hypothesis originally seemed more convincing, but after considering the total height of the
statuette (1.30 m) and comparing it with other published trapezophori (averaging 0.75
m), 347 this artifact seems too tall for use as a table stand. F. Slavazzi noticed that the four
elements under the base serve to affix the object to the ground, suggesting that the statuette
was made for use outdoors, such as in gardens of a Roman villa. 348 The Mahdia wreck
provides a similar bronze parallel in the form of a small statue of Eros. 349
Marble type: Pavonazzetto. 350
Height (total): 1.30 m
Height (statue): 0.76 m
Height (base) 0.54 m
Width (base): 0.30 m; Depth (base): 0.25 m 351
Bibliography: Lucifero in Lenormant 1976, 223, n. 29; Pensabene 1978b, 233-4, fig. 1;
Moss 1988, 205-6, figs. 1-2; Pensabene 2002a, 37.
345 Moss 1988, 386.
346 Lucifero in Lenormant 1976, 223, n. 29.
347 Andronico in De Nuccio and Ungaro 2002, 373, 74; Mastroroberto in De Nuccio and Ungaro 2002, 373-4,
n. 75; Valeri in De Nuccio and Ungaro 2002, 375, n. 76; Mastroroberto in De Nuccio and Ungaro 2002,
375-6, n. 77.
348 Slavazzi 2001, 93.
349 Söldner 2004, 399-429.
350 Pensabene 1978b, 233.
351 Measurements from Pensabene 1978b, 233.
261