ACCOUNTS, kc, OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 2J 



II, — Acquisitions. 



I. — Six ancient mural paintings, representing (1) Pluto carrying off Proserpina iu a 

 quadriga; (2-3) two groups of a male and a female figure ; (4) a winged female figure 

 holding a branch ; (5) a male figure holding a calathus ; and (6) a flower. 



These paintings, which originally decorated the tomb of the Nasones, discovered on 

 the Via Flaminina in 1674, had been lost sight of for more than a century, until they 

 were purchased at a sale by Mr. George Eichmond, r.a. They are remarkable for 

 free and vigorous drawing, and for the rich and mellow tone of their colouring. They 

 formed part of the series of paintings which is engraved in Bartoli, " PItture antiche del 

 sepulcro del Nasonii," published 1680. 



II. — Bronze situla, from Offida, in Central Italy, remarkable for its size, condition, and 

 the beauty of its design ; it rests on three lion's feet, above each of which is a group of 

 Herakles strangling the Nemean lion ; the body of the situla is encircled with two bands 

 of honeysuckle pattern ; below the attachment of the handles on each side is a Harpy 

 grasping with either hand a youthful male figure, held up by the left wrist. 



III. — Fictile lehythos, obtained by the late Lord Lyons at Coi-inth ; on it is represented, 

 in an ai-chaic style, the centaur Nessos carrying off" Deianeira, and pursued by Herakles. 



IV. — Six intaglios : (1) Sard; bull, altar; (2) Sard; Zeus seated; (3) Sard; Zeus, 

 two deities; (4) Nicolo ; Kome seated on trophies; (5) .lacynth; head with diadem; 

 (6) Sardonyx ; Artemis or Selene. 



V. Two bronze steelyards: (1) inscribed MAPAOXIOY, marked with the divisions of 

 four scales, one set of which appear to belong to the Ptolemaic mina ; from Smyrna ; 



(2) inscribed ^^, with the divisions of three scales, of which the unit is probably the 



Roman libra ; from Sardis. 



VI. — Bronze statuette of Eros ; from Athens. 



VII. — Eleven stones, on which archaic designs are engraved in intaglio ; from Greece. 



VIII. — Terracotta relief, representing Helle seated on the ram. 



IX. — Leaden weight, representing the Kyzikene mina ; on one side is an inscription 



in relief, [^ ^ 



X. — Fragment of a marble arm which must have belonged to some figure in the 

 frieze of the Mausoleum. 



XL — Antiquities discovered by Mr. O. Richter in excavations in Cyprus : — 



A. — A series of terracotta statuettes of various periods, found together in an ancient 

 building at Achna near Salamis, and j)robably representing goddesses or priestesses. 

 The following are the principal types : 



(1.) A female figure, holding against her bosom a bird in her right hand. 



(2.) A similar figure, holding a bird in her left hand against her bosom. 



(3.) A similar figure, at whose side stands a stag. 



(4.) A figure, holding in her left hand a deer {^see Cesnola, " Salaminia," p. 223). 



(5.) A figure, holding in her left hand a lyre {op. cit., p. 193). 



(6.) Figure, holding fruit or pomegranate flower. 



(7.) Figure, holding one hand on either breast {op. cit., p. 202). 



(y.) Very archaic type, of which the arms are indicated as mere stumps. 



The site on which these statuettes were found may have been a magazine, in which the 

 objects dedicated in some temple of Artemis were deposited ; they are remarkable for the 

 light they throw upon the details of Cyprian female attire. 



B. — A series of fictile vases and miscellaneous terracotta objects from the same site, 

 the most remarkable of which is a small model of an altar, inscribed with a dedication 

 {see Ancient Greek Inscriptions in the British Museum, Pt. II., No. ccclxxxii). 



C. — A series of miscellaneous objects in stone, glass, lead, and silver. 



D. — Four fragments of Greek inscriptions, of which one is from Achna, the other three 

 from Lamaca, near the Bamboula Hill {see Ancient Greek Inscriptions in the British 

 Museum, Part II., Nos. cccxciv., cccxcviii., b, c, dK 



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