16-10-2019, 03:16 PM
davidjackson's idea of animals at the bottom up to the big boss at the top is intriguing.
Time for some rampant speculation
1. Top figure : nebuly lines, crucifix --points to Spiritual / Religious, no higher authority kind of thing.
2. Nymph with ring : Ring symbolizes Royalty, Kingship ( possibly angelic?)
3. Normal mortals : Figure is bald, has breasts, is pregnant - -symbolizing, Man,Woman and Child together in one figure.
4. Human like : Mermaid, maybe a centaur would also be in this class.
5. Animals : Well they are animals (why no birds and fish though?)
Reminds me a little of the 'Great chain of being' but thats Christian though derivative.
And a quote from wikipedia Mermaid page.
"I saw Derketo's likeness... a strange marvel. It is woman for half its length; but the other half, from thighs to feet, stretched out in a fish's tail."
Note not from 'waist to feet' but 'thighs to feet', easy to interpret as the Mermaid is showing a bit of thigh.
Time for some rampant speculation
1. Top figure : nebuly lines, crucifix --points to Spiritual / Religious, no higher authority kind of thing.
2. Nymph with ring : Ring symbolizes Royalty, Kingship ( possibly angelic?)
3. Normal mortals : Figure is bald, has breasts, is pregnant - -symbolizing, Man,Woman and Child together in one figure.
4. Human like : Mermaid, maybe a centaur would also be in this class.
5. Animals : Well they are animals (why no birds and fish though?)
Reminds me a little of the 'Great chain of being' but thats Christian though derivative.
And a quote from wikipedia Mermaid page.
"I saw Derketo's likeness... a strange marvel. It is woman for half its length; but the other half, from thighs to feet, stretched out in a fish's tail."
Note not from 'waist to feet' but 'thighs to feet', easy to interpret as the Mermaid is showing a bit of thigh.