| Category |
Sub-category |
Detail |
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Identity; Possible Symbolism; Definition |
| ANGEL |
Adult |
anchor |
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symbolizes Hope; if eyes cast up to star: hope for someone at sea Anchor of Hope |
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lilies |
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Archangel Gabriel, the Annunciation Angel |
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raised finger |
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Archangel Gabriel, the Annunciation Angel |
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riding chariot |
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Nike, Goddess of Victory (no halo) |
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sword, dragon |
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Archangel Michael, subduing Satan |
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writing |
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on shield or tablet: Nike, Goddess of Victory, inscribing the names of victors
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Child |
archery equipment: bow, arrow, quiver |
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Cupid/Eros |
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head with wings |
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cherub, a Biblical rather than Greek or Roman image, often based on the well-known ones at the bottom of Raphael's Sistine Madonna; Cupid appears more often on cameos than cherubs do |
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torch |
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with Apollo or Aurora/Eos: Genius of Light; most other settings: Cupid/Eros; Cupid can appear in scenes with mortals or other gods to symbolize that a couple are falling in love or are lovers/spouses, not because he is traditionally a participant in their tale |
| ANIMALS |
Butterfly |
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Psyche; by extension, the soul, spiritual love |
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Camel |
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setting is Middle East, often Biblical, e.g., Rebecca at the Well |
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Dog |
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associated with hunting (see Hound); Cupid & his Dog; in more allegorical scenes symbolizes fidelity |
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Dolphin |
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may accompany any of the sea deities; Cupid riding: after B. Thorvaldsen's Cupid at Sea |
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Elephant |
headdress |
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possibly Alexander the Great |
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Goat |
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common in scenes with Cupid or Bacchus, symbolizes lust; in country village scenes, presumably more innocuous |
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Horse |
with rider |
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St. George; Amazon; Napoleon
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winged |
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Pegasus: sprang from Medusa's body after decapitation by Perseus; tamed by Athena; given to the Muses; lent to Bellerophon to aid in slaying the Chimaera; may appear with any of these figures |
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Horses |
drawing chariot |
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see chariot |
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in water/waves |
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with bearded man: Poseidon/Neptune as god of horses |
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Hound(s) |
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Diana/Artemis; Actaeon; Orion; other hunters |
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Lamb |
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held by woman, no halo: Allegory of Innocence; woman with halo: St. Agnes ( a pun, L. agnus = lamb) |
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Lion |
with Cupid |
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Cupid riding: after a work by B. Thorvaldsen; Cupid walking next to: after Thorvaldsen's Cupid on Earth |
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Lion's head |
with mane, as headdress
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worn in place of armor by Hercules/Heracles; by Queen Omphale while Hercules must wear women's clothes; by Alexander the Great, as association with Heracles |
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Panther, panther skin |
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worn by Bacchus/Dionysus, sometimes by female followers |
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Ram's horns |
curled, directly on head |
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symbol of Egyptian Ammon; on bearded male: Ammon-Zeus; on beardless male: Alexander the Great, Apollo if figure is radiant |
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Snake(s), serpent(s) |
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as hair: Medusa; wrapped around staff, a caduceus: Asclepius, sometimes Mercury/Hermes; fed by woman: Hygeia/Salus; leading woman who pulls at neckline of robe: Nemesis; biting woman's heel or near woman on ground: Eurydice (Orpheus &); at woman's breast: Cleopatra |
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Spider |
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Arachne |
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Stag, deer, hind |
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representative of woodland lfe under Diana's protection; being pursued with hounds or restrained by Diana/Artemis: Actaeon |
| APPLE |
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in scenes of Judgment of Paris; (also Pomona) |
| ARMOR |
Breast plate, aegis |
Medusa |
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Athena/Minerva |
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Cuirass |
"scaled" |
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armor for the torso composed of many small plates: Athena/Minerva
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Helmet |
face on visor |
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Athena/Minerva in satyr-faced helmet
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monster/dragon crest |
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Perseus; Athena/Minerva, an allusion to her role in the Perseus story |
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owl |
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Athena/Minerva |
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Pegasus |
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Athena/Minerva, an allusion to her role in the Perseus story |
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plumed |
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Elaborately plumed: Athena/Minerva; shorter, trimmed: Mars/Ares, Trojan War hero |
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"scaled" |
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covered in small plates: Athena/Minerva, substitution for "scaled" cuirass when only head is shown
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sphinx crest |
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Athena/Minerva, no tale connects them, just meant to be fearsome |
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wolf, suckling boys |
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Minerva, as patroness of Rome, with founders Romulus & Remus, who were raised by a she-wolf |
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woman and centaur |
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Hercules/Heracles with the centaur Nessus carrying off Deianeira; he is more typically shown wearing a lion skin |
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on ground or cloud surface |
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winged woman: Nike with spoils of war |
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Shield |
Medusa |
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Athena/Minerva |
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round, with spike or decorated center |
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a clipeus; carried by woman, rule out drum carried by bacchante |
| BABY |
Boy |
with wings |
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Cupid; cherub |
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without wings |
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with wine-related elements, sometimes drinking with Cupid: Roman Bacchus; generic putto (pl., putti) or Greek erotes, plural of Eros |
| BASKET |
Flowers |
carried by female |
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Aurora/Eos; Spring; frequently ambiguous |
| BIRDS |
Dove |
2 drinking from fountain or bowl |
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perhaps just what they seem to be; in Christian setting refreshment of the soul; wellspring of faith; see Pliny's Doves
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2 or more flying about female figure or drawing chariot |
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Venus/Aphrodite; can also appear in scenes with Cupid to link him with Venus |
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4 perched on rim of bowl |
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Pliny's Doves; aka Capitoline doves |
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dove, held to breast |
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ancient image indicating sorrow for a dear departed; the dove represents the soul, now lifeless, a mourning image; see Pliny's Doves
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flying away from reaching figure |
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soul escaping earthly bonds, a mourning image; see Pliny's Doves
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flying, radiant and/or head downward |
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Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost, Christian symbology; often with radiance around it |
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Eagle |
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proper animal of Zeus/Jove, can be his servant or the god in that form, servant if carrying thunderbolts; carrying boy or youth: Zeus/Jove abducting Ganymede; being fed by girl: Hebe; often with Aurora/Eos, also Day, because it hunts by day; Cupid riding: after B. Thorvaldsen's Cupid in Heaven |
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Owl |
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Night/Nyx, it hunts by night; Athena/Minerva
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Peacock |
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proper animal of Hera/Juno
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Phoenix |
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mythical bird that was reborn from its own ashes, not commonly seen on cameos; the European eagle, unlike the American bald eagle, has a tuft of feathers on the head, leading to its sometimes being confused with the phoenix |
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Rooster, cock, cockerel |
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proper animal of Mercury/Hermes
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Swan |
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Zeus/Jove in that form with woman: Leda & the Swan; also sometimes in the company of Venus/Aphrodite or Cupid/Eros, occasionally with Apollo
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| BLOCK |
Stone |
head on top |
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a herm: head can be Mercury/Hermes, guideposts & shrines for travelers; ithyphallic figure, Priapus ; other figures may appear in this form, other clues in the composition can generally provide ID |
| BOOK(S) |
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Mary Magdalen sometimes appears with a book/Bible; often an attribute of a sibyl |
| BOWL |
Shallow |
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a patera, used for pouring libations; Hebe offering Zeus nectar, Hygeia feeding/making offering to snake; element of many classical worship scenes |
| BRAZIER |
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on tripod, smoking |
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in scene with veiled woman: priestess or seer; in scene with people bearing or putting into flame wine or sprinkling something into flame: devotees, look for other clues in scene of whom; woman with snake sprinking herbs in flame: Hygeia
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| BREAST |
Bare |
female figure |
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wearing diadem, often, lowered chin: Venus/Aphrodite; drooping eyelids and/or snake on breast: Cleopatra |