The Tetrarch Pair are located on a corner of Basilica San Marco. The Tetrarch Pair are one part of two identical pieces, that are side by side. Each piece contains a pair. The pair has two figures, both of them standing. Each figure has a crown with a hole in the front. Both of the tetrarch's look nearly identical. The only difference amongst the two figures is that one of the figures has a beard. The figures have large eyes and large heads. The shoulders of the figures are narrow. There is a cloak hanging off of the shoulders of each figure. The tetrarch with the beard has his right hand placed on the left shoulder of the tetrarch without a beard. Armor adorns both figures. Each tetrarch holds a sword with their left hand. The hilts of the swords are carved in the shape of an eagle. The figures do wear shoes. The pair of tetrarchs are standing on a base. The figures are made of purple porphyry. The porphyry has a glimmering and smooth quality to it. These figures are not life sized.

Significance:
First, it should be stated that this "Tetrarch Pair" (as well as the other pair, not shown here) is spolia. The tetrarchs were taken from Constantinople and are now housed at the Basilica San Marco. The Basilica and its surroundings contain a large number of spolia. There are two figures here. The figure with the beard is the Augusti. The Augusti were the senior emperors. The figure without the beard is the Caesar. The Caesars are the junior emperors. Diocletian is the Augusti. Galerius is the Caesar. Diocletian created the system of tetrarchy or rule of four to better manage the Roman empire. Each tetrarch was to rule one part of the empire whilst learning from their senior emperor. The junior emperor would succeed the senior emperor and then take on a junior emperor. The tetrarchs here are not individualized in any way. They do not look like anyone. All have the same body size and the same clothing. The features of the figures are very abstract. Though the figures are standing, there is no contrapposto. There is not much of a sense of musculature underneath the armor. All of this is a very, very sharp departure from past Roman portraiture and the Greek portraiture that influenced them. In previous Greek and Roman portraiture, we had seen beautifully done drapery that would hint at the musculature and body structure of the figure. There is no such naturalistic quality here. The purple porphyry that the tetrarchs are made of came from a quarry in Egypt. This makes perfect sense as Egypt was a part of the Roman empire. It should also be noted that historically purple had been used only for rulers. It is interesting that the figures are holding on to each other. The tetrarch pair is holding on to one another. The faces and bodies of the pair are turned towards one another as well. This could be representing a sense of collaboration, stability, togetherness and unity. After so much of upheaval, this would have been reassuring. The proportions of the tetrarchs is not natural. They resemble chess pieces. ]]> Tetrarch Pair: Constantinople/Istanbul]]>
Tetrarchy. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/britannia/ruins/tetrarchy.html>.

Treasures of Ancient Rome: The Empire Strikes Back. Dir. Tim Dunn. Perf. Alastair Sooke. Www.dailymotion.com. BBC, n.d. Web. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x30xwqf.

"Treasures of Ancient Rome." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Apr. 2017. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.

Image of the Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs. Digital image.
Www.romeacrosseurope.com. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.romeacrosseurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/the-four-tetrarchs.jpg>.

Favaretto, Irene. St. Mark's: The Art and Architecture of Church and State in Venice. Ed. Ettore Vio. New York: Riverside Book Company, 2004. Print.]]> The statues of Rahotep and Nofret each depict a seated man and woman respectively. Rahotep has reddish brown skin and dark, stylized hair. His eyes are inlaid, and framed with black liner. He has a mustache, which like his hair is dark and neat. He is wearing a white necklace with a heart amulet, and a white kilt. His right arm is cross over his chest, with his right hand balled into a fist and placed over his heart. His left hand is placed on his left leg, similarly curled into a fist. His legs are pressed together in front of the block seat. He lacks any distinctive ankles and his feet are wide and flat. His overall musculature is stylized with only hints of definition. On the back of the seat, behind his head, there are hieroglyphics written in black. Beside him, Nofret is similarly stylized. She too has inlaid eyes surrounded by black liner, block-like ankles, and wide feet. However, she does have a few of her own individualizing features. Her skin is much paler than Rahotep’s. She is wearing a large black wig with a center part, though some of her own hair visible underneath. She is also wearing a floral band around her wig and a large collar-like necklace. She is wearing a tight white cloak over a fitted garment with two large straps. Underneath the robe, her arms are crossed, aside from her right hand which extends past the robe’s edge. The robe continues down her legs, stopping just above her feet. Like Rahotep, the back of her block seat is decorated with hieroglyphics.

Significance:
The statues of Rahotep and Nofret depict an elite couple, as indicated by the titles written in hieroglyphics on each statue. Rahotep is called “priest of Ra”, “supervisor of the works”, and “the son of the king”, a sign of high nobility. His dark skin, in addition to being the color traditionally used for men in Egyptian are, indicates that he was seen as hard working and active during his life. Conversely, Nofret does not receive titles or appreciation for work during her lifetime. Instead, her statue is focused on her nobility and beauty. Her hieroglyphics call her “the royal acquaintance”. Her pale skin is a symbol of nobility and beauty in the Ancient Egyptian artistic tradition. Her name even means “the beautiful”. Nofret’s face and body are almost obscured by the beautiful things she is wearing. Her wig, cloak and elaborate necklace become the focus. Her style is typical of Old Kingdom. Similarly, the carving style reflects the traditions of that time. Statues from this period were typically front facing, axial, and emotionless in expression, all of which is evident in these statues. The indistinct ankle and flat feet are also typical of this time. Despite the standardized features, the individualized touches allow us to learn about Rahotep and Nofret and real people. ]]> <http://contentdm.unl.edu/cdm/ref/collection/sculpture/id/1314>.

Shahawy, Abeer El, and Mathaf Al Misir. The Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Cairo: American U in Cairo Press, 2005. Print.]]> Nofret: 122 cm tall]]> This panel from the Punt colonnade from the Mortuary Temple of Pharaoh Hatshepsut depicts three figures etched into the limestone. The figure to the far left is male, wearing a kilt with a sword tucked into the waistband. He has broad shoulders and a thin waist. He is turned to the left, only a profile of his face is visible, but the rest of his body faces forward. His left arm is at his side, clutching a rod that is only partially in view. His right arm is crossed at his chest, with his hand clenched into a fist. He is wearing a necklace, and has a long goatee that reaches his sternum. The figure in the center is a woman, who appears to be extremely obese. There are rolls to indicate extra flesh around her arms, her midsection, and around her legs. Her hair is down and behind her shoulders, but there is a thin strip of fabric tied around her forehead. Her sleeveless shirt hugs her rolls, and exposes her fleshy arms. Her buttocks and thighs are disproportionately large, partially covered by loose shorts. Her figure is humanoid, the deposits of fat are awkwardly spaced, and her buttocks extend far out, making her profile look like an “s” shape. She has a necklace with three, equidistant circles, and two anklets. Her left arm is at her side, with an open palm gesturing towards the ground. Her right arm is crossed at her chest, with the palm open and facing her midsection. There is a figure partially depicted on the far right, holding a covered pan with open palms.

Significance
This panel is located on the Punt Colonnade, a section of the mortuary temple dedicated to celebrating the political achievements of Pharaoh Hatshepsut in the land of Punt, an area “rich in resources” and invaluable to the Egyptians. This section specifically touts Hatshepsut’s expedition to punt circa 1493, which brought trees and other supplies back to Egypt. It depicts King Perehu and Queen Eti of Punt, but Eti is shown as portrayed as morbidly obese. This could have been done for a number of reasons, still debated today. It could be used to portray the wealth of resources in Punt. Another potential reason is to emphasize the “otherness” of people from the land of Punt, to stress the political accomplishments of Hatshepsut that she made trade relations with a land with people far different from Egyptians. This also could simply be how Queen Eti actually looked, with femoral obesity and random deposits of fatty tissue as a result of Lipomatosis or Dercum disease, now refered to as “Queen of Punt” Syndrome.
]]>
Egyptian Dermatology Online Journal Website: http://www.edoj.org.eg/vol001/00102/07/quine%20punt.htm

Art History Webmaster's Association Website: https://www.bluffton.edu/homepages/facstaff/sullivanm/egypt/deirelbahri/deirelbahri.html

Ancient History Encyclopedia Website: http://www.ancient.eu/punt/



]]>