Document Type
Article
Version
Publisher's PDF
Publication Title
American Journal of Archaeology
Volume
110
Publication Date
10-1-2006
Abstract
Kunze has suggested that Hellenistic sculpture depicting themes of everyday activities that are traditionally classified as genre Subjects may carry very different meanings. This note argues that, in Graeco-Roman terms, the chubby personage in depictions of the Boy Strangling the Goose is not simply a child but the personification of Dienysos/Harpokrates; the goose is not a household pet but an evil spirit over which the Divine Child triumphs. The manner of the representation is Greek and can be read at a superficial level; the deeper content is Egyptian and contains a symbolic message of rebirth and victory.
Publisher's Statement
© 2006 by Archaeological Institute of America. Publisher's version available at http://www.ajaonline.org/forum-article/164.
Citation
Ridgway, Brunilde S. 2006. The Boy Strangling the Goose: Genre Figure or Mythological Symbol? American Journal of Archaeology 110:643-648.
Included in
Classical Archaeology and Art History Commons, History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons