170, Herakles seated on his lionskin, dress at his lap, resting his head and hand on a staff, looking down. Behind him his bow. Before him his club, a sphinx seated on a base within which is shown the head of a boar, and by his feet three apples (of the Hesperides). Ground line. The boar could be the Erymanthian but the hero had no dealings with a sphinx. Story-Maskelyne remarks that this copies an Orléans cornelian (Reinach, pl. 127.86; now St. Petersburg, Neverov 1982, nos. 86-7) inscribed with a reference to Herakles' resting from labour. On the latter he may be holding a sword, not a staff as here, as so in the Ajax pose - see the following and Marlborough 299.
Description: HERAKLES SEATED ON HIS LIONSKIN, DRESS AT HIS LAP, RESTING HIS HEAD AND HAND ON A STAFF, LOOKING DOWN. BEHIND HIM HIS BOW. BEFORE HIM HIS CLUB, A SPHINX SEATED ON A BASE WITHIN WHICH IS SHOWN THE HEAD OF A BOAR, AND BY HIS FEET THREE APPLES (OF THE HESPERIDES). GROUND LINE. THE BOAR COULD BE THE ERYMANTHIAN BUT THE HERO HAD NO DEALINGS WITH A SPHINX. STORY-MASKELYNE REMARKS THAT THIS COPIES AN ORLÉANS CORNELIAN (REINACH, PL. 127.86; NOW ST. PETERSBURG, NEVEROV 1982, NOS. 86-7) INSCRIBED WITH A REFERENCE TO HERAKLES' RESTING FROM LABOUR. ON THE LATTER HE MAY BE HOLDING A SWORD, NOT A STAFF AS HERE, AS SO IN THE AJAX POSE - SEE THE FOLLOWING AND MARLBOROUGH 299.
Last Recorded Collection: Boardman, J., Scarisbrick, D., Wagner C., Zwierlein-Diehl, E: The Marlborough Gems (2009): no. 170
Previous Collections:
Story-Maskelyne, M.H.: The Marlborough Gems (1870): no. 298
