Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 4th century CE. An attractive fragment of a marble relief displaying the left shoulder and arm of a man draped in the thick, billowing folds of a toga. Bending at the elbow, his arm seems to extend slightly forward as his fingers slant slightly downward. The rich fabrics in which the figure is dressed suggest that he may be a member of the Roman noble class. Size: 4.5" W x 6.5" H (11.4 cm x 16.5 cm); 6.8" H (17.3 cm) on included custom stand.

Marble statuary, reliefs, and cladding were ubiquitous in the Roman world, as the remains of the preserved cities at Herculaneum and Pompeii demonstrate. Their sculpture was intended to conjure human vitality, and was inspired by the works of Polykleitos, who became the model to which sculptors aspired in Greco-Roman as well as later Western European art. Greco-Roman statuary, unlike that of the other Mediterranean civilizations like Egypt, Persia, etc., celebrated the naturalistic human form. This included representations of their gods, who appear as if living people, dressed as if they are elite citizens. For example, the famous statue of Hades with Cerberus, his three-headed dog, today on display at the Archaeological Museum of Crete, has an extremely realistic quality despite its fantastical nature, down to the details on each dog head. This suggests an intriguing, more personal relationship with the gods rather than the more abstract or magical portrayals of other contemporary societies.

Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#144109

Fragment of a larger piece. Repair to bottom area with restoration over break lines. Chip to shoulder. Expected nicks, abrasions, and softening of detail, commensurate with age. Otherwise, very nice with light earthen deposits throughout.