Evaluation of the Symbolic Meaning of the Depictions on the Four Door-Type Grave Stelae at the Uşak Museum Uşak Müzesindeki Dört Kapı Tipli Mezar Stelindeki Betimlemelerin Sembolik Anlamı Üzerine Bir Değerlendirme
Art-Sanat Dergisi, cilt.24, ss.31-59, 2025 (ESCI, Scopus, TRDizin)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 24
- Basım Tarihi: 2025
- Doi Numarası: 10.26650/artsanat.2025.24.0017
- Dergi Adı: Art-Sanat Dergisi
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.31-59
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Usak, Door-Type Grave Stele, Iconography, Symbolism
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Uşak Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
The subject of this study is four door-type grave stelae located in the Uşak Museum. Door-type grave stelae are a type of stelae particularly seen among the middle class of society in antiquity. They reflect the concern to preserve and perpetuate the memory of the deceased through more affordable means, especially for those individuals or family members who could not commission a permanent monument defying time. Instead, they conveyed this intent through the depictions of doors and additional architectural elements such as columns and pediments. The depictions on the door-type stelae show considerable diversity. This diversity in depictions is the result of cultural contact between regions and the choices made by ethnic groups based on what they find appealing. It can be said that the peoples living in the Phrygian region found a way to visibly express and display their identities in relation to their affiliation with the Roman Empire through the door-type grave stelae, which were fashionable at the time. These stelae are also important because they provide information about the social and economic status of the people living in Roman Phrygia and shed light on the burial traditions specific to the region. The stelae registered in the inventory of the Uşak Museum are highly significant works for the academic world due to the above-mentioned reasons. Although the exact spots of these stelae are not known, it is observed that they were acquired by the museum through purchase. The stelae in question have been included in a typology by comparing them—both stylistically and iconographically—with examples of stelae from different regions that share similar styles and iconography within their respective contexts. In particular, it has been understood that previous studies used in the evaluation of the stelae in Cat. No. 3 and Cat. No. 4 included in this study were insufficient in classifying the stelae according to a specific typology. For this reason, it has been determined that it is more accurate to include door-type stelae in a local typology rather than in old classifications when conducting research on them. Furthermore, examining the symbolic meanings of the stelae is one of the main objectives of this study. It is important to understand the symbolic language of the person or city that the stelae aim to introduce and remind within the artistic, political, and religious contexts. In addition, the study aims to evaluate the community, social environment, and city to which the deceased belonged through the iconography of the stelae included in the scope of the research.