Roman Statuette of a Bound Barbarian Captive

2ND-4TH CENTURY A.D.

2 3/8 in. (40 grams, 60 mm high).

A bronze statuette of a bound Mauritanian prisoner with his hands tied behind his back, naked body with exposed genitals, hair arranged in tight curls.

Provenance

Acquire in the 1990s.
Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.

Literature

Cf. Beutler, F. et al., Der Adler Roms. Carnuntum und der Armee der Cäsaren, Bad-Deutsch Altenberg, 2017, items 1003-1010, especially 1005, for type.

Footnotes

The face of this bound barbarian, who is forced into a squatting position by the way he is bound, is framed by rich locks betraying his Moorish origin. Numerous statuettes of bound barbarians have been found at the Empire’s outer boundaries. Many have vertical and horizontal bores, which have led to the interpretation that they were ornaments for horse bridles or snaffle fittings.

CONDITION

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LOT 0126