I'm posting this artifact found in Elis in Greece to remind people that the identification with the Muses with certain symbols isn't just a Roman or Renaissance invention.
Its interesting also to note that the artifact shows both a LYRE and a KITHARA and also for Apollo a very old tortoiseshell lyre rather than Eratos version which has a sounding board or sound box?
Note that there are two different types of books with both a Scroll and a folding Tablet being shown.
I think this is a folding tablet rather than an early codex because of the black pages. The black could be slate or wax with dye added ?
Urania is shown as a star chart.
Despite the damage there seems to be both types and possibly a third type of theatre mask: comedy tragedy and well the third is too damaged ....Melpomene is probably a Tragic Mask but but that leaves us with the question of whether Polyhymnia is a mask or a womans face. Her image could possibly be a reference to the use of women's choirs for some events such as religious festivals with associated choral competitions open to women.
You can get a larger version of this image from Wikipedia but there are very few comments on context.
This seems to be Hellenistic to me or late Classical given the limited color range?
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