ROMAN FIGURINE

43

An incomplete and worn cast copper-alloy figurine of Roman date. The figure is male, and depicted in the round, standing but missing the lower half of his legs, his feet and the lower half of his right arm due to old breaks. Viewed from the perspective of the figurine, the head is three-quarters facing, turned slightly downwards and to the left, with shoulder-length hair and an oval shaped face, the features of which are unclear due to the preservation of the object. He is depcited wearing a draped toga that extends to a rounded hemline just above the knees, and with sleeves seemingly running to the elbows. The folds of the toga are depicted by moulded grooves that run vertically down the right hand side of the body, diagonally from the right shoulder to the left arm, and from the left elbow to the hemline at the bottom right hand side of the figure. Similar vertical grooves are also visible on the back of the figure, and the left hand side of the toga has a triangular split up to the left elbow. The right arm is held against the side of the body and is bent at the elbow so that the now missing fore-arm and hand would presumably have projected forwards. The complete left arm is similarly positioned but holding an uncertain object against the shoulder, possibly a purse? The legs terminate in old breaks above the knees, and are positioned with one in front of the other with a slight twist at the hips and the weight of the figure positioned on the back leg. This, combined with the twist of the head, is suggestive of the 'contrapposto' technique employed in sculpture to produce more life-like representations of human figures. The entire object is quite worn, with a mid green patina and evidence of post-depositional wear and corrosion in places. It measures 63.06mm in surviving height, 30.41mm in width, 14.10mm in thickness, and weighs 68.63g. This figurine is of Roman date. If he is indeed carrying a purse then this is a possible depiction of Mercury, although he lacks the winged hat (petasos) that is typically found on figurines of Mercury (Toynbee, 1963: nos. 22-23).