Examples of architectural sculpture with figurative and floral decoration of the byzantine period at muğla, bodrum and milas archaeological museums

Abstract

Our investigations at the museums in Muğla and her townships brought to our attention a group of sculpted architectural pieces decorated with figures and motifs. Balustrade fragment no. 1 from Muğla Museum, baluster no. 14 and column capital no. 17 from Bodrum Museum are decorated with symbolic depictions involving vines, vine leaves and grapes, which have a special place in Byzantine iconography. Some scenes of the early Christian period are depictions with symbolic statements and a narrative language built on with influences from Antiquity. Looking for their sources, both symbolic and schematic, it was seen that they formed the primary sources for the scenes depicting the events told in the Bible. However, it is also known that some depictions that emerged in the Early Christian period and continued to be used later have in fact their origins back in Antiquity. One such example is the compositions with vines and grapes. This composition found in many variations and in a great variety of context within the frame of Dionysiac cult continued to be used in the Early Christian period assuming a symbolic meaning. Compositions with vines were used not only on wall paintings but also frequently on architectural sculpture. Bodrum, Muğla and Milas museums house a balustrade, a balustrade fragment and an architrave fragment decorated with a peacock motif. The peacock represents the immortality of the soul and reincarnation; thus, just like the vine motif, the peacock, too, goes back to Antiquity and is one of the symbolic figures that stayed in use in Early Christian and Middle Byzantine periods. alustrade no. 10 at Milas, no. 14 and 7 at Bodrum and no. 2 at Muğla museums are decorated with mythical and predatory animals. Animal figures were always commonly used in Byzantine art and due to prohibition of figurative images during the Iconoclasm they stepped forth, replacing the religious depictions together with the floral decoration, and continued to be used in the Middle Byzantine period. These stone works of art with figurative decoration dating to the Early and Middle Byzantine periods reflect the characteristics of the capital and nearby provinces with regards to iconography and motifs; but it is possible to say that they reflect a unity with regions neighboring Caria in the rendering of the figures and craftsmanship quality.