An unpublished group of theatrical subjects riding swines in the terracottas from Capua

Abstract

This paper addresses the study of theatrical-themed figurines within the extensive corpus of votive terracottas from the sanctuary of Fondo Patturelli, preserved at the Museo Provinciale Campano of Capua. After a general overview of the groups and subjects, a more detailed analysis is conducted on a core of six terracottas (five in Capua, one in Berlin) depicting peculiar characters riding on swines. The iconography, overall, appears to be rather unusual: the subjects seem to combine elements that are individually recurring in the coroplastic panorama of Capua, while the group appears comparable to well-attested iconographies of children and Erotes on animals. Building on a previous interpretation as Sileni, some comparisons are identified within the so-called Phlyax vases and theatrical terracottas, allowing for the interpretation of the subjects as actors as well.