Bronze statuette of a standing male figure

Unknown

ca. 500–450 BCE · Bronze · Greek and Roman Art

The statuette is a rare and unusual sculpture best described as a Campanian (west central Italian) bronze of the fifth century B.C. It most likely served as a votive offering to the gods, presented at a sanctuary either in anticipation of divine favor or in fulfillment of a previous promise or vow. The precise identity of the figure is uncertain; both his close-fitting garment and tight-fitting cap adorned with rosettes are uncommon details. The bronze is especially interesting for its remarkable stylistic affinities with both Greek and Etruscan art, characteristic of Campanian works made in a region where Greek, Italic, and Etruscan peoples were living in close proximity.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 500–450 BCE

Medium

Bronze

Culture

Campanian or South Italian Greek

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Purchase, Jeannette and Jonathan Rosen Gift, 2000