Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 2nd to 3rd century CE. A skillfully carved marble bust depicting the god Serapis with deeply set eyes, a bushy beard, a mustachioed closed mouth, wavy locks of cascading curly hair framing his visage, and a draped chiton with delineated folds over his broad shoulders. Ancient Romans did not typically respect the deities and belief systems of other ancient cultures; however, those in the Greek and Egyptian pantheons were revered. The god Serapis was originally created by Ptolemy I of Egypt as a means of unifying the Grecian and Egyptian cultures around the 3rd century BCE, though Romans were quick to adopt the cult of Serapis in favor of other overarching deities such as Osiris around the 4th century CE. Size: 4.125" W x 4.5" H (10.5 cm x 11.4 cm); 10.5" H (26.7 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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#132491

Now missing modius, losses to peripheries of lower bust, and abrasions/losses to high pointed areas of face and form.