Category | Sub-Category | Detail | Identity; Possible Symbolism; Definition | |
LAUREL WREATH | worn by Apollo, the Muses & others - mythological & historical - deemed as being under his influence or possessing his gifts; held aloft by Nike, goddess of Victory; Zeus/Jove; depending on context, a symbol of refinement or of victory | |||
LEAVES | Grain | without ear of wheat/barley | Persephone (Kore, Proserpina, Proserpine)/ nymph Arethusa if dolphin(s) also present | |
Grape | Bacchus/Dionysus; bacchante/maenad; Cybele; Ariadne | |||
Ivy | Bacchus/Dionysus; bacchante/maenad; Ariadne | |||
Laurel | Apollo; Muses; Zeus/Jove; Athena/Minerva; Mars/Ares; mortal heroes; Roman emperorors; celebrated poets, artists & philosophers, ancient & modern; in general signifies triumphs of intellect or arms | |||
Oak | Zeus/Jove | |||
Palm frond | with winged woman: Nike, goddes of Victory; carried by a figure with a halo: a martyr saint; religious context but no halo: a martyr, sometimes one of the unnamed 'virgin martyrs' who do not have haloes | |||
MASK | Theatrical | frowning, tragedy | Muse Melpomene | |
smiling, comedy | Muse Thalia | |||
Helmet visor | Athena/Minerva, face of Jove on visor | |||
MOON | Crescent | on brow/head: Diana/Artemis or Luna; above veiled woman: Night/Nyx; woman standing on: Mary | ||
Man in the Moon | sometimes included in depictions of Diana/Artemis |
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MOUNTAIN | 2 peaks | Vesuvius, usually in background of scene with water, Bay of Naples | ||
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS | Cymbals | associated with the revels of Bacchus/Dionysus | ||
Drum | associated with the revels of Bacchus/Dionysus, tympanum |
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Flute, double | associated with the revels of Bacchus/Dionysus; n.b., looks like our recorder, not the transverse flute of today | |||
Flute, single | ambiguous, other clues needed to decide if nymph, bacchante or Psyche; n.b., looks like our recorder, not the transverse flute of today | |||
Harp | King David; often in scenes of Cupid with Venus or Psyche; may be small or large enough to sit on ground, is shorter & straight on the end near the player, taller & often curved on the far end | |||
Kithara | similar to lyre, but with sound box at base, sometimes carried by Apollo instead of lyre | |||
Lyre | Apollo, Muses Erato & Terpsichore, Orpheus; an easily portable instrument, lyres differ from harps in having a symmetrical shape curved on both sides, often seen poking over the figure's shoulder rather than complete & can be confused with arrows in a quiver | |||
Pan pipes, syrinx | Pan; woodland nymph | |||
Pipe organ | St. Cecilia | |||
Sistrum | associated with the revels of Bacchus/Dionysus | |||
Trumpet | blown to announce arriving royalty, proclamation, revelation, depending on context | |||
NUDE | Man | with cloak | full figure standing in chariot, cloak billowing behind: Apollo or Mars/Ares |
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Woman | Venus/Aphrodite is traditionally shown with bared breasts/upper torso, when seated lap is usually lightly covered | |||
ORB | held up in hand or under foot of seated woman | Muse Urania | ||
PALETTE | Artist's | seen most often with painter Raphael, but can also be in more general scene | ||
PALM TREE | indicates scene is in Middle East, common in Biblical subjects, e.g., Rebecca at the Well |
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PLINTH | block or column supporting effigy of a god in worship scenes or otherwise indicating the figure is elevated; the head of Mercury/Hermes directly at top of block is called a herm, they were guides for travelers, in a scene with mortals an indication they are traveling | |||
QUILL PEN | Nike inscribing on shield or tablet; very large: probably a palm frond, attribute of Nike & Christian martyrs | |||
SCROLL | Muse Clio; Apollo, some of the sibyls |
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SKULL | St. Mary Magdalen may have a skull under her hand or near her; always symbolic of death, it is a memento mori, a reminder of mortality | |||
SOLDIER | Roman | see centurion | ||
STAFF | Flowering | St. Joseph | ||
Pincone headed | Bacchus/Dionysus, a 'thyrsus' | |||
Ribbons | criss-crossed | Mercury/Hermes | ||
Snakes | caduceus; the snake on Aesculepius's staff got confused with the 2 ribbons on Mercury's herald's staff so that this attribute can appear with either figure | |||
Wings at top | kerykeion: Mercury/Hermes | |||
STAR | in scene with anchor: Polaris, the North Star; in sky near woman with flowers: the Morning Star with Aurora |
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STOOL | 4 legged | a throne, symbol of royalty | ||
SUN | sometimes with Day, in jugate cameos with Night; 2nd & 5th Hours of the Day |
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SWIRLS | bottom of composition | clouds, indicating Olympus or heaven, depending on context; curlicues decorative only | ||
TIPTOES | figure standing on tiptoes | indicates terrestial figure is dancing; when in clouds, one indicator of a goddess; see also Three Graces | ||
TOOLS | Bident | long handle, 2 tines/prongs | Hades/Pluto | |
Trident | long handle, 3 barbed prongs | for spearing fish: Neptune/Poseidon | ||
Hammer | Vulcan/Hephaestus | |||
Scythe | Saturn; see also Days of the Week | |||
Shepherd's crook | Paris; Muse Thalia; Apollo |
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Sickle | Ceres; Biblical scene: Ruth |
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TORCH | boy with wings carrying | Cupid; the Genius of Light when seen with Apollo's procession or Aurora/Eos; also with B. Thovaldsen's & some other representations of Day |
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can look similar to cornucopia | held by eagle: companion of Aurora/Eos, daybreak; held by winged boy: Cupid, Genius of Light | |||
eagle clutching | usually seen with Day or Aurora/Eos, who bring the morning light; the eagle hunts by day | |||
TREE | in scene with woman, small buildings | standard part of the many generic country scene cameos | ||
Laurel | woman turning into one: Daphne; effigy of wreathed man in one: Apollo |
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Olive | associated with Athena/Minerva, who gave it to mankind, difficult to distinguish from laurel without other clues | |||
TRIPOD | support for brazier, also name for entire apparatus, used to make burnt offerings or for sweet/salubrious herbs | |||
TROJAN | Man | helmeted | possibly a Trojan hero of the Trojan War, but more likely one of the Greeks, who won that contest; other possibilities are Mars & Athena |
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TURBAN | Woman | desert scene/well | Rebecca at the Well | |
Young woman | looking back over shoulder | Beatrice Cenci | ||
URN | Lidded/footed | may appear in scenes indicating mourning; by itself: mourning | ||
Open | figure pouring from | female holding under arm: Aurora/Eos, Iris, personification of well/spring/small water course; male holding or leaning on: personification of a river; either gender: Aquarius | ||
VEIL | Long | Night/Nyx; Muse Melpomene; Vesta/Hestia, priestess, seer; Virgin Mary; symbol of modesty, secrecy or darkness |
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Short | like a handkerchief draped at back of head, an occipite, Roman fashion for married women seen often on Hera/Juno, Ceres also Day |