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Document Details :

Title: Gesturing Emotions
Subtitle: Mourning and Affection on Classical Attic Funerary Reliefs
Author(s): MARGARITI, Katia
Journal: BABESCH
Volume: 94    Date: 2019   
Pages: 65-86
DOI: 10.2143/BAB.94.0.3286779

Abstract :
This paper examines gestures expressing emotion on classical Attic funerary reliefs: mourning and grief for the loss of a loved one or for one’s own untimely death, tenderness and affection for the deceased or a living relative, consolation for a bereaved family member, and verbal communication, which can be used to convey a variety of meanings: a last farewell, the pain felt by the mourners, or love for the dead kin. Emotional gestures are not particularly common in funerary relief scenes. They are however important, since they create a visual bond between two persons and can often help with identifying the deceased. They also place special emphasis on the powerful ties of familial love and kinship between the deceased and his/her grief-stricken relatives.

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