Skip to main content

Visit Main Menu Block

  • Hours & Admission
  • Accessibility & Amenities
  • Tours & Group Visits
  • Visitor Guidelines

Exhibitions and Events Main Menu Block

  • Exhibitions
  • Events

Art and Design Main Menu Block

  • Collection
  • Collection Research
  • Past Exhibitions
  • Watch / Listen / Read

Footer Main

  • Become a Member
  • Who We Are
  • Opportunities
  • Rent the Museum
Previous image 1 2 / 2 Next image

Unknown Maker, Roman

Table or Throne Support

Maker

Unknown Maker, Roman

Culture

Roman

Title

Table or Throne Support
Bench Support

Period

Ancient

Year

1-100 CE

Medium

  • marble

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • marble

Materials

white marble

Dimensions

37.8 x 44.6 x 7.7 cm (14 7/8 x 17 9/16 x 3 1/16 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Museum Appropriation Fund and Special Gift

Object Number

23.352

Type

  • Sculpture

Publications

  • Journal

Rethinking the Romans: New Views of Ancient Sculpture

Exhibition notes ; No. 13. Contributions by: Georgina E. Borromeo, Kent Severson, Mary Hollinshead, Crispin Corrado Goulet. Alt Author: Borromeo, Georgina.

  • Books

Classical Sculpture

Exhibition History

Rethinking the Romans
New Views of Ancient Sculpture
Apr 06, 2001 – Jan 02, 2009

Label copy

This sculpture slab was probably fashioned as the proper right support of a marble bench. Ornamented with volutes and lotus buds on its long sides, the object is singular in its representation of a male head on its short side; one that likely terminated in a single, large animal hoof or paw at the bottom (now missing). The bearded figure may represent a satyr (a mythical creature of the wild), or, alternately, Acheloos (a river god with underworld associations).

Its artificial combination of human with animal and vegetal features, including horns, pointed ears, and spiral beard flowing into inverted flowers beneath, are common in depictions of “grotesques,” or mythological creatures composed typically of a lion of eagle body with horns, animal paws, beard, and large ornate wings. The Providence relief may belong to a small class of supports with uncommon and wingless grotesques. While supports are known as early as the sixth century BC, this example is probably a creation of the first century AD.

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Roman
Table or Throne Support; Bench Support, 1-100 CE
Marble
37.8 x 44.6 x 7.7 cm (14 7/8 x 17 9/16 x 3 1/16 inches)
Museum Appropriation Fund and Special Gift 23.352

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

Footer Main

  • Become a Member
  • Who We Are
  • Opportunities
  • Rent the Museum

Footer Main Navigation

  • Visit

    • Hours & Admission
    • Accessibility & Amenities
    • Tours & Group Visits
    • Visitor Guidelines
  • Art & Design

    • Collection Research
    • Collection
    • Past Exhibitions
  • Join / Give

    • Become a Member
    • Give
  • Exhibitions & Events

    • Exhibitions
    • Events
  • Watch / Listen / Read

    • The Latest
    • Publications
    • Articles
    • Audio & Video

Footer Secondary Navigation

  • Who We Are
  • Opportunities
  • Image Request
  • Press Office
  • Rent the Museum
  • Terms of Use
Tickets
Homepage
Go to the risd.edu homepage. This link will open in a new window.