Hoplite Shield Grip Question

[Dangun]

I saw this the other day...


https://imgur.com/t3K8WlC

...a hoplite's grave stele.

I was just wondering whether his left hand was holding a grip that was unusually close/on the rim?
Or is it perhaps just an abstraction of the more familiar and more detailed...


https://i.imgur.com/QKRmQgp

[Dangun]

Sorry for the false start, I've discovered how to do the photo insert thing!!

[Duncan Head]

Looks to me like a slight distortion to fit the shield in the space avaiable.

[RichT]

Looks to me like a no entry sign...

[Duncan Head]

When I commented two days ago, the images were visible. Now they're not.

[Patrick Waterson]

When I commented two days ago, the images were visible. Now they're not.

This will depend upon whether and when Nicholas is online, the images being based in his computer.

[Edit: gave 'will' its second 'l'.]

[Dangun]

OK. I am confused.
In this thread I have included a URL for the pictures as a link, and used the identical URL for the "img".
The link works but the IMG does not.
Why is that?

[nikgaukroger]

IIRC Google hosted photos do not appear on forums - they don't allow it. You need to use a different host - I use Imgur but Flickr, Photobucket and others work as well.

[Dangun]

IIRC Google hosted photos do not appear on forums - they don't allow it.

Thanks!
I was feeling really stupid there for a moment.

[Erpingham]

IIRC Google hosted photos do not appear on forums - they don't allow it.

Thanks!
I was feeling really stupid there for a moment.

I think you could upload a photo to a yahoo group photo section (e.g. ancmed) and link from there.  But I haven't tried.

[Dangun]

I think you could upload a photo to a yahoo group photo section (e.g. ancmed) and link from there.  But I haven't tried.

I switched to IMGUR, and it seems to be working...

[Duncan Head]

One article suggests that this stele, the monument to Dionysios of Kardia from Cyprus, may be:

probably the earliest example and the closest that Cypriot art ever came to the depiction of a hoplite, although Cypriots were probably aware of the hoplitic tactics and equipment since the Archaic period.

So it may just be that the sculptor wasn't familiar with the problems of a convincing depiction of the hoplite shield and its grip.

[Dangun]

So it may just be that the sculptor wasn't familiar with the problems of a convincing depiction of the hoplite shield and its grip.

I liked your earlier suggestion even better - the problem of depicting a large round object on a tall thin one. The person would have been carved first - its a bit higher - and then the sculptor may have gone "bugger... I wanted to keep it all to scale."

[Patrick Waterson]

Images are present and correct now.

I wonder if this particular relief was meant to be a depiction of a shield managed by a strap rather than the usual handle arrangement.  Just a guess, really; the elbow seems to be in the wrong place for the usual porpax.

Or it might be intended to depict one of these.

[Duncan Head]

Or it might be intended to depict one of these.

Boiotian shields are shown as oval, not round, so I suspect probably not.