How to Recognize and Date a Muse:
Torn Garments, Marble Types, and the Tiber Muse
in the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts

Christopher Roberts

University of Minnesota

It is often difficult to determine precise information from ancient statues in museums that are damaged and lack context. The so-called 'Tiber Muse' in the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts provides a good example of this. The statue represents a young female figure bending over a rock with her left elbow resting upon one raised knee. The figure has suffered damage and is missing: her head, most of her arms, as well as portions of her feet and base. She unfortunately holds no items and only a few elements remain to determine her identification. The statue's name results from its apparent discovery in the vicinity of the Tiber River, and its basic similarity in terms of pose to other known muses. In the description provided by the museum it is suggested that the piece is a product of the Hellenistic Eastern Mediterranean that was shipped to Rome at a later date. Though this label is problematic it is possible to examine its claims further.

First and foremost there is one remaining feature on the statue, an oval tear in the garment, which is comparatively rare and could be used to understand the figure's identity. Ordinarily, such a tear would suggest an erotic encounter; however, in the example of the Tiber Muse neither the pose nor the clothes support such a conclusion. Instead this feature can be linked with an iconographic tradition whereby musicians were commonly represented with less sartorial restrictions on their playing arms. This better accords with the remaining parts of the statue and suggests that the figure was involved in playing a musical instrument, further supporting the claim that the figure is a muse.

The date of the statue was determined by stylistic criteria, which place it rather specifically into the Hellenistic period. The claim that it is the product of an Eastern Mediterranean workshop is problematic. Preliminary visual analysis of the material type suggests the statue was made of Carrara marble and was therefore made on the Italian peninsula. With further scientific testing it would be possible to clarify some of these problems, since it is likely that the material type could be confirmed as Carrara marble, which could answer questions about when and where this statue was made. Beyond confirming the label such studies could address broader trends in the creation and movement of sculpture in the ancient world if it could be added to a larger sample.