Abstract of the paper:
In the Rauws Wicker Chair Collection we find a replica of a Dea Nutrix figurine sitting in a basket chair. It is one of the oldest depictions of a basket chair found in Holland. In this paper we go back in time and via Roman, Etruscan Greek and Egyptian art to find out why the herringbone pattern cannot be reconstructed by our contemporary basketmakers.
Jac. E. Rauws
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The Dea Nutrix along the Roman Limes
The Roman Limes: border rivers, watchtowers, army camps and, … the Dea Nutrix figurines.
It is not entirely clear why from the 2nd century AD Roman soldiers brought Dea Nutrix figurines from the French Allier Valley, along the northern border of the Roman Empire. The Limes runs from England via the river Rhine to the Alps.
We find small statues of a female breastfeeding one or two children. The original name of the goddess is unknown, but in a very modern way, the pedestal, sometimes has a Latin inscription with the name of the pottery workshop. One example of this is PISTILLVS which was made in Autun-sur-Allier ca 200 AD, and is depicted below.
The Dea Nutrix figurines by Pistillvs are realistically represented with a so-called “stake-and-strand” wickerwork that is made up of vertical stakes and horizontal weft. At the height of the seat we see a horizontal decorative braid. Pistillvs had his pottery workshop in Autun-sur-Allier.
The figurines are baked from white clay, pipe clay. The mold consists of three parts, front, back and a bottom. A hole on the left side opens the hollow figurine for the baking process.
In the home altar (lararium), the pedestal under her feet stands as a “foundation” in a bed of soil. As a result, the name of the workshop is no longer visible.
In the Valkhof Museum at Nijmegen, we find an example of the earliest white clay terracotta, with striking properties. The shape is of a half cylinder, which prevents it from potentially rolling around. The only thing that sticks out is the detailed head. At the front, these figurines have a nearly flat appearance, with minimal protrusions, making them look almost two-dimensional as a relief. One might wonder: “Was that done to prevent it from getting damaged or eroded during transport by the Roman soldiers to the Limes?”.
Perhaps the unnatural folds of the dress over the lower legs is an attempt of the artist to give an impression of depth around the legs.
The figurines can be found near the pottery workshops and at Roman settlements along the Limes. Sometimes they are found in graveyards and they are either scorched or decapitated. This figurine from the Valkhof Museum was not excavated by archaeologists, but retrieved from a local salesman.
The makers of the figurine in the French Allier Valley in Gaul were probably "Roman", based on the detailed Roman hairstyles and the several Latin workshop names.
In general, an artist pays the most attention to what is most important to him. Here we see that the clothing is not considered important. Based on how they are depicted, the children also seem deemed unimportant and only serve a san attribute to indicate that the woman is a Dea Nutrix.
This forms a stark contrast to the oldest representations from the fourth century of Virgin Mary. In that case Mary is pontifically carrying Christ on her hands while being adored by the three Magi dressed like Mithras with cape and a Phrygian cap as displayed below.
The oldest early Christian images depict the worship of Christ, by the Magi (three wise men or kings from the east). They are dressed as the god Mithras and represent an example for other to follow. Mary elevates Christ on her hands, while seated in a stake-and-strand wickerwork chair.
The herringbone pattern representation of wickerwork
What possessed the visual artist to focus on the back of the figurine? The wickerwork chair of the Dea Nutrix has been worked out in detail. Moreover, it clearly depicts a woven chair with or without a herringbone pattern and not a hollowed-out tree trunk as we can find by the Etruscans.
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Roman examples of the herringbone braid pattern
Below are several images showcasing the herringbone braid pattern used in various contexts. In each instance, the artist clearly aimed to represent a wicker stake-and-strandpattern.
However, if a basketmaker were asked to depict his stake-and-strand wickerwork, the result would look quite different. This suggests that the artist exercised artistic freedom in representing the pattern, choosing an interpretation that deviates from how it would be rendered in a technical drawing.
When an artist depicts a wicker basket or chair from aside, the vantage point of the wicker braid is often adjusted to a 45-degree angle. This technique makes the wicker pattern more recognizable compared to terracotta, wood or metal. This approach results in a pattern resembling upward-pointing arrows when viewed from a 45 degree angle from below, or downward-pointing arrows when viewed from a 45 degree angle from above.
This artistic representation of stake-and-strand wicker is found in both: two dimensional drawings and three dimensional objects like these figurines.
This could be interpreted as an artistic error called perspective inconsistency or perspective distortion. In art, this occurs when multiple perspectives or vantage points are used in a single composition, which can break the intended spatial coherence.
Specifically in ancient art, such inconsistencies may stem from the artist's desire to prioritize symbolic or functional representation over strict adherence to a single perspective. In this case the stake-and-strand pattern is better to recognize from an angle of 45 degrees.
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The Etruscans
The Etruscans in Italy carved burial vaults from the tuff-rock and painted a herringbone pattern on the wool baskets. The drawing was made in the early 20th century. At that time, the original painting on the back wall and the fish bones could still clearly be identified.
However, contemporary basket makers cannot reconstruct this herringbone pattern with the widely used stiff twigs of the willow tree.
The herringbone woven pattern appears to be a very old traditional representation of ordinary “stake-and-strand” weaving with stiff stakes and smooth weft dating back to the Etruscans. Potentially dating back even further to the Mycenaean culture in Greece over three thousand years ago.
Based on research into what is possible using wicker twigs, it has been found that this herringbone pattern did not come from the Roman basket maker. Instead this is simply the way the artist chose to depict the stag-and-strand wickerwork.
Mycenaean culture, Greece
Depicted below is another set of examples of the herringbone wicker pattern depicted on objects from ancient Greece.
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The figurines from the Allier Vally can show a herringbone pattern that represents both: stake-and-strand wickerwork and covered with fur! At the level of the seat, the horizontal wicker braid is never depicted.
In the figurines of the Allier Vally we find a baboon sitting in a wicker chair with bulla. Another wicker chair is empty and we get a look at the front side of back with a fur patch or pillow.
Anyhow the herringbone representing fur goes back to ancient Egypt.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Dea Nutrix figurines and their intricate representations of stake-and-strand wickerwork with and without a herringbone pattern provide fascinating insights into the interplay of art, craftsmanship and cultural significance along the Roman Limes. These small statues, with their carefully crafted details of wicker and fur of the chairs served as more than mere objects of worship or decoration. They symbolized the cultural exchanges and practices of the Roman-, Etruscan-, Greek- and Egypt world, blending technical skill with artistic freedom.
The herringbone braid pattern, as depicted in these figurines, represents a pivotal intersection of artistic interpretation and technical reality. While the artists clearly sought to portray the familiar wicker stake-and-strand pattern, their representations diverge from the methods and visual accuracy a basketmaker might employ. This deliberate artistic choice emphasizes creative expression over technical precision.
From the Allier Valley potters to their discovery in Roman settlements and graveyards along the Limes, these figurines stand as a testament to the widespread influence of Roman artistry and the evolving ways in which artisans depicted everyday materials like wicker and fur.
By analyzing these objects, we gain not only an appreciation for their aesthetic qualities but also a deeper understanding of their role in connecting distant parts of the Roman Empire. Their legacy continues to intrigue and inspire, bridging ancient traditions with modern interpretations of art and symbolism.
References
De Beenhouwer, Jan 2005, De Gallo-Romeinse terracottastatuetten van Belgische vindplaatsen in hetruimer kader van de Noordwest-Europese terracotta-industrie (Leuven 2005) see: https://limo.libis.be/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=LIRIAS1797862&context=L&vid=Lirias&search_scope=Lirias&tab=default_tab&lang=en_US&fromSitemap=1 Jan De Beenhouwer.
Bémont /Jeanlin/ Lahanier 1993 C. Bémont / M. Jeanlin Les figurines en terre cuitegallo-romaines. Documents d’Archéologie Française 38 (Paris 1993).
Rauws, Jacobus Evert. “Decorations on the restoredSecond Style wall painting of Oplontis room 23 north”. In Rivista di Studi Pompeiani, associazione internazionale amici di Pompei Vol. XXIII (2012) pp. 71 – 78.
https://www.rauwscollection.com/
https://www.europeana.eu/nl/item/1099/RWCC_240010