-1809.] 
which are fluted in wreaths, and all the 
capitals resemble the Corinthian. Imuch 
wish to ascertain the date of this work® 
for the above reason. The singularity of 
the composition, of No. 42, has no pa- 
rallel in the reom ; it is a short naked hu- 
man figure, with the head of an old man, 
a long thick beard, and the body of a 
child ; holding in each hand the stem of a 
plant. On each side of this curious com- 
pound figure, is seated a no less curious 
quadruped, whose head is that of an el- 
derly man, with the breasts of a woman, 
and body of a sphynx, whose tail termi- 
nates in a flower. : 
There are, inthis unrivalled collection, 
some of the largest statues ever found of 
terra cotta; one being of the goddess Salus, 
both the hands of which are wanting, but 
from the position of the arms,itisapparent, 
that the figure held aserpent in the right 
hand, and a patera in the left, and is nearly 
four feet high. Another of a Muse, resting 
her left arm upor a pile of writing tablets, 
placed on a square column. Another of 
these statues is Thalia, one that is sup- 
posed to have been a votive portrait, and 
another a female crowned with an in- 
dented diadem, but the characters are 
both unknown to me; the drapery is ina 
fine style, and the whole delicately ex- 
ecuted. 
Such are the contents of this room which 
isfilled with terra cottas of exquisite 
beauty, both for design and execution, 
and is of itself an excellent academy for 
the student. On leaving it, we cometo the 
second room, which is. devoted to Greek 
and Roman sculptures; it is circular and 
lighted from an elegant dome, and is ex- 
cellently contrived for a judicious distri- 
bution of light. On the left we are 
greeted with a stupendous colossal head 
of Minerva Sospita, most admirably cha- 
racteristic of the goddess of the dreadful 
shield. 
A funeral urn, at a small distance, 
The Dilletanti Depaiiedi Wr, Ld, 
147 
talogue; it is either a Canephora, or a 
Caryatic figure, but cannot be both; if, 
as le asserts, it did support the portico 
of a temple, I cannot contradict him, 
but then it is not a Canephora. This 
error has arisen from the resemblance 
between these two species of figures, but 
their applications were different. Cane- 
phore, (as their name imports from asvéwy 
a basket, and $éew to bear) were youngand 
noble virgins, who carried a basket on 
their heads, on the festivals of Minerva, 
and were never degraded to the ignoble 
situation of the Caryatides, who always 
support heavy and cumbrous entabla- 
tures. Cicero, in his fourth oration 
against Verres, refers to some Canephorae 
of his time, and from the chisel of Po- 
lycletes, but does not mention them as 
being used for columns, but as deposi- 
taries for perfumes and flowers for the 
sacrifice, and placed on each side of the 
altar. ‘The beautiful figure at Lore 
Elgin’s, is really a Caryatide, and was 
found in such a position by his lordship ; 
it is also described both by Stuart and Le 
Roy, as supporting a cornice. ‘his i 
verily believe to be a Canephora, but 
cannot recollect any example of Cane- 
phore being applied to the purposes of 
columns, except inthe portico of agrottog, 
in the Villa Albani, at Rome, which are 
supposed to be copies from those men- 
tioned by Cicero, of Polycletes, and 
which owe their degrading situation to 
the ignorance of a modern architect, who 
took them for Caryatides, and as such 
has used them. 
In this room are some beautiful cande- 
labra, one ef which is of such excellent 
workmanship, and beautiful design, that 
it is scarcely excelled by that inestimable 
relic, the candelabrum of Sir Roger New=- 
digate in the Ratcliffe library, at Oxford, 
that has so often been the theme of our 
admiration. The triangular base of one 
of them, has three genil, with wings, hold- 
beautifully ornamented with equestrian ~ ing each apart of the armour of Mars, his 
and pedestrian combatants, of high an- 
tiquity and rare beauty, presents itself to 
the admiring spectator; but passing by 
things of minor worth, a brilliant of an- 
cient art demands attention ; it is a sta- 
tue of a canephora, which the catalogue 
tells us was anciently made use of as 
a column ; and asserts, that 1t was one of 
the caryatides, which supported the por- 
tico of a small temple, dedicated to Bac. 
chus. This is a manifest contradiction, and 
an error into which many have fallen, 
besides the author of that part of the ca- 
* Perhaps some of our readers will favor 
us with adissertation on this interesting sub- 
ject. E, 
helmet, his shield, and his sword. Can- 
delabra, or lychnuchi, (from aAdxyves a 
candle and ye that sustains.) were 
among the greatest luxuries of the anci- 
ents. Homer, in his Odyssey, in descri- 
bing the palace of Alcinous, King of Cor 
cyra, speaks of them as being made of 
gold; and on many medals of Septimius 
Severus, and of his sons, are representa- 
tions of Candelabra as used in the tempies 
of Venus of Paphos. They not only used 
them as stands for lights, but also as small 
altars for burning perfumes. — 
Among other beauties in these rooms are 
two fine vases, ornamented all round with 
bachanalian figures, and handles, spring« 
ing | 
Fee 
ae 
SS 
