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Roman

Youthful Figure Wearing a Torque, 138-192 CE

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

Roman

Title

Youthful Figure Wearing a Torque

Year

138-192 CE

Medium

Marble

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • marble

Dimensions

47.5 x 25.7 x 21.9 cm (18 11/16 x 10 1/8 x 8 5/8 inches)

Type

  • Sculpture

Credit

Museum Appropriation Fund

Object Number

26.158

Projects & Publications

Publications

Rethinking the Romans

New Views of Ancient Sculpture

Classical Sculpture

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Rethinking the Romans

April 6, 2001 - January 2, 2009

Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries

As the Empire expanded, especially during and after the 2nd century CE, foreign practices and luxury goods were assimilated into Roman culture. In addition to its aesthetic qualities, the adopted neckpiece (torque) around this figure’s neck served a function: it covered the seam where a portrait head (now lost) joined the torso. This traditionally Celtic ornament was worn by Roman soldiers and by youths who participated in the Trojan Games. Originally indicators of divinity, torques suggested the gods’ protection. In fact they are common to representations of such child-deities as Horus-Harpokrates, Attis, and young Dionysos, who were connected with Eastern mystery religions that shared the promise of a happy afterlife with their initiates. Combined with a lost portrait head, the torque may establish this piece as a funerary portrait statue, an appropriate memorial to a deceased youthful son.

Weiss Ancient Art Gallery

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Youthful Figure Wearing a Torque with the accession number of 26.158. To request high-resolution files or 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.

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