Page 133 - Loss of the VOC Retourschip Batavia, Western Australia, 1629
P. 133
BARTMANN OR BEARDMAN JUGS
Beardman with inscribed band, acanthus leaves and portrait medallions
BAT 2165
.t ' 7_., " r~' :.
\ •If ..," .
\;~'".
: J~""""
(." '... \~\¥ J .
. .~~l;;~'"'. .
·····~-:~f··~
.....
This is a very fragmentary jug made-up of pieces collected over a number of years. How- ever, enough fragments existlo reconstruct all but therim. Thejug is thought to have four pairs of acanthus leaves set on either side of the inscription. Between these would be three pairs of portrait medallions, set so that the front pair is under the mask and thus the fourth pair could not be put on the jug because of the handle. The portrait medallions show a man with a winged helm, possibly Mercury. The inscribed band reads '. SY • A L - M · DIE· E I - - M · DIE .' which suggests that it is a repeated group of words. The mask is very naturalistic. The jug is well-made and the applied decoration is of a high quality.
123
