Tabula ansata

A *tabula ansata* on the right side of the boss on a soldier shield, metope XXIV from Tropaeum Traiani

A tabula ansata or tabella ansata (Latin for "tablet with handles", plural tabulae ansatae or tabellae ansatae) is a tablet with dovetail handles.^[1] It was a favorite form for votive tablets in Imperial Rome.^[2]

Overview[edit]

Tabulae ansatae identifying soldiers' units have been found on the tegimenta (leather covers) of shields, for example in Vindonissa (Windisch, Switzerland).^[3] Sculptural evidence, for example on the metopes from the Tropaeum Traiani (Adamclisi, Romania), shows that they were also used for the same purpose on the shields.^[4]

Modern era[edit]

Tabulae ansatae have been used by modern artists from as early as the 15th century, as shown on the tomb of Charles, Count of Maine, attributed to Francesco Laurana, in Le Mans Cathedral.^[5] The Statue of Liberty by sculptor Auguste Bartholdi is holding one such tablet on which "July IV MDCCLXXVI" is inscribed.

Gallery[edit]

Tabulae ansatae on soldiers' shields – metope from the Tropaeum Traiani, Archaeological Museum of Istanbul
A tabula ansata on the attic of the arch of Dativius Victor (de) in Mainz
Tabulae ansatae carried on sticks – Arch of Titus^[5]
A tabula ansata carried on a stick – Triumphs of Caesar by Andrea Mantegna^[5]
Tabula ansata on a mosaic in Ostia Antica
Tabula ansata on George Bancroft's bookplate
The Statue of Liberty (formally Liberty Enlightening the World) holds a tabula ansata inscribed with "July 4 1776" in Roman numerals
Detail of the Statue of Liberty's tabula

Footnotes[edit]

^ Giroire, Cécile; Roger, Daniel (2007). Roman art from the Louvre. Hudson Hills Press. p. 109. ISBN 1-55595-283-6.
^ Meyer, Elizabeth A. (2004). Legitimacy and law in the Roman world: tabulae in Roman belief and practice. Cambridge University Press. p. 28. ISBN 0-521-49701-9. LCCN 2003051532.
^ See picture (source page)
^ Tansey, Patrick (June 2008). "M. Titius, Menas and the insignia scutorum". Klio. Vol. 90, no. 1. Berlin: Akademie Verlag. pp. 68–70. doi:10.1524/klio.2008.0004.
^ ^a ^b ^c Barnard, Toby Christopher; Clark, Jane (1995). Lord Burlington: architecture, art and life. Continuum International Publishing Group. pp. 118–120. ISBN 1-85285-094-9.

External links[edit]

Ancient tabula ansata made of metal from Italica (Spain).
Tabula ansata on the Shaykh Zwaydah (Cheikh Zouède) mosaic (source page), 4th century AD, Ismailia museum, Egypt, discovered in 1913 by Jean Clédat^[1]

^ Picirillo, Michele [in French] (2007). "Les mosaïques de la bande de Gaza". In Haldimann, Marc-André (ed.). Gaza à la croisée des civilisations: Contexte archéologique et historique. Chaman Edition. p. picture N°119. ISBN 2-9700435-5-6.

[1] Giroire, Cécile; Roger, Daniel (2007). Roman art from the Louvre. Hudson Hills Press. p. 109. ISBN 1-55595-283-6.

[2] Meyer, Elizabeth A. (2004). Legitimacy and law in the Roman world: tabulae in Roman belief and practice. Cambridge University Press. p. 28. ISBN 0-521-49701-9. LCCN 2003051532.

[3] See picture (source page)

[4] Tansey, Patrick (June 2008). "M. Titius, Menas and the insignia scutorum". Klio. Vol. 90, no. 1. Berlin: Akademie Verlag. pp. 68–70. doi:10.1524/klio.2008.0004.

[Burlington-5] Barnard, Toby Christopher; Clark, Jane (1995). Lord Burlington: architecture, art and life. Continuum International Publishing Group. pp. 118–120. ISBN 1-85285-094-9.

[6] Picirillo, Michele [in French] (2007). "Les mosaïques de la bande de Gaza". In Haldimann, Marc-André (ed.). Gaza à la croisée des civilisations: Contexte archéologique et historique. Chaman Edition. p. picture N°119. ISBN 2-9700435-5-6.

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