Pompeii No.11: The Clipeus

Mark D. Ruffner

This week I'm adding a clipeus to the Pompeii Room.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin   |   Spring 2010

The clipeus was a shield that was hung by the Pompeians over their entrances for protection. Today, some people do the very same thing with horseshoes. This mural detail is from the house of P. Fannius Synistor, and can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Pompeii   |   Coarelli   |   Riverside

This is a detail of a mural from the Villa Poppea. Though it's not in P. Fannius Synistor's house, the clipeus looks as though it may have been painted by the same artist.

www.findamuralist.com

The late Garth Benton, who painted this clipeus on the south porch of the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, probably looked to the first two images for reference. Notice that all three shields include the same star.

Mark D. Ruffner

It's a star found on many shields from antiquity. We know that the Romans borrowed heavily from the Greek culture, and this star can be traced to Macedonia, which was originally a Greek city state.

en.wikipedia.org

Appropriately, prior to 1995, this was the flag

of the Republic of Macedonia.

squarewithflair.blogspot.com

Having said all that, I decided to go a different route and decorate my clipeus with a lion's head. I was attracted to this Chanel logo — the photo originated from my blogger friend at Square With Flair.

Chanel, who was a Leo, loved the lion as an emblem, decorated her apartment with lions, and even incorporated the lion on buttons for her fashion creations. Terry was kind enough to send me additional reference of this particular lion.

And here is my own clipeus.

Next week I'll be adding a mythical animal to the mural,
one that represents both strength and wisdom.
.