THE SEAHORSE KING/ a cinderella stamp from the micronation of Amphora

"THE SEAHORSE KING"
Empire of Amphora

Amphoran Postal Union

2001

by Eric Whollem

edition of 100, plus ten artist's proofs

48 x 79 mm.

Copyright by the artist.

A Ceramic Wallpiece Featured on

a Fantasy Stamp From Amphora

I created the sculpture seen on this stamp in the early

1990's. It is one of a series of seahorse sculptures. No

molds are used in the creation of my sculptures, which

are one of a kind.

______________

Readers interested in my Cinderella Stamps should look at: 

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/cinderella%20stamps

Those interested in Mermaid Art should view these links to my aquatic posts:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/mermaids

If your general interest is in my Ceramic Sculpture see:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/ceramic%20sculpture

My posts on the topic of THE SEA HORSE are on this link:
http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/sea%20horses

SEAHORSE FANTASY STAMPS FROM AMPHORA/ Ceramic Sculpture/ Photo Collage

"AMPHORAN SEA HORSE"

2001

Empire of Amphora

by Eric Whollem
edition of 100, plus ten artist's proofs

Copyright by the artist.

A Seahorse Stamp From the Continent of Amphora

This stamp, constructed by a collage of photos, including

one of a ceramic sculpture of a seahorse, stands as a

portrayal of Voltumna, the seahorse god of the ancient

Etruscan culture of Italy.

FONT OF VOLTUMNA/ a figurative ceramic sculpture celebrating the seahorse art of the ancient Etruscans

                               

                                    The Font of Voltumna

                                    1999

                                    by Eric Whollem

                                    oxides, earth pigments in acrylic emulsion and copper carbonate

                                          on white clay

                                    Collection of the artist.

                                   11 1/4"

                                          Photo copyright by the artist.

Voltumna, the Seahorse God of the Etruscans

Tuscany, just north of Rome, was the site of an ancient

culture that had a language different from most others in

Europe. The art bears affinities to Greek and Egyptian

art, probably through diffusion of artisans throughout the

Mediterranean world. This was the world of the Etrus-

cans.

         A video about Voltumna by Eric Whollem, 2011

The ceramic sculptural tradition of the Etruscans was

very imaginative and unique. Their mural art utilized

earth paints in a style reminiscent of Egypt and Crete.

THE SEAHORSE GOD

Voltumna was the chief divinity of the Etruscans. This

was the Seahorse. This may seem odd at first. The

seahorse, insofar as it is a being that includes the horse,

the serpent, and the fins of a fish, is a type of of Chimaera,

or composite entity.

The Chimaera appeared in the art of the Etruscans in

the earliest stages of their culture. Before that it was

a Greek idea that stemmed originally from the Hittites.

The Chimaera is generally regarded as an embodiment

of untamed natural powers, but the seahorse was a more

benign symbol, as far as it was interpreted by the

Etruscans. The seahorse was the embodiment of the

highest concept of god to the mind of the Etruscan.

SEAHORSES AND WATERHORSES IN FOLKLORE

The Greek god, Poseidon, a sea god, had among his

chief powers the power to transform into a horse.

The race of Centaurs of  Greece, originally were con-

ceived as having the tail fins of a fish. They were thus

seahorses as well.

In the Sheltand Islands there is folklore concerning a

race of diminutive horses that wash up in the tides. These

were called  the Shoopiltee or  the Tangie.

The designation, Kelpie, is used to describe the magical

waterhorse of Scots and Irish lore. The term is Nokken in

Noreway. In Iceland the Ninnur.

MIKA WALTARI

I base my observations on Voltumna on the novel,

The Etruscan. by the Finnish author, Mika Waltari who

relates that the Etruscan seahorse god was considered

a universal spirit by virtue of it's inclusion of mutliple

animal aspects as mentioned above.

Waltari's novel gives a spectacular description of the

mystic visualizations in the initiations in the temple of

the seahorse. A great vision of Voltumna is evoked.

The novel describes the journey of a priest of the

Etruscans through the ancient world of the Mediter-

ranian. A boy destined to be a priest is cast to sea

in a boat. He wears an amulet of a seahorse. He

is led back to his Etruscan homeland by destiny,

after having been captured by Greek pirates and

then having gone through a multitude of adventures

in Sicily, then the Italian mainland where he encoun-

ters the Cumean Sibyl.

THE ROMAN SHRINE OF VOLTUMNA

The Tuscan colony in ancient Rome had a shrine to

Voltumna not far from the sacred precincts of the temple

of Castor and Pollux.

See more posts about CERAMIC SCULPTURE on this link:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/ceramic%20sculpture

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

DAUGHTER OF THE MOUNTAIN

by Eric Whollem

*

Anthropology, mythology, Etruscans, seahorse, Voltumna.