Ancient Roman Bone Fine quality Doll. 2nd - 3rd century AD 13 cm H.

Doll CULTURE: Roman Empire PERIOD: 2nd - 3rd century AD MATERIAL: Bone DIMENSIONS: Height 13 cm PROVENANCE: Private collection J. Martí, Barcelona, Spain. Formed during 1960 - 1990. Acquired in the Barcelona - Madrid art market. . CONDITION: Some cracks can be seen, but otherwise the piece is in a good state of preservation, especially given the fragile nature of the material. Without restoration. DESCRIPTION: Roman pupae were made of diverse materials: clay, wood, ivory , amber and bone. The state of preservation of this piece in question is of note, especially considering that the material is of organic origin. Dolls were common objects in the daily life of girls and were included in their funerary goods, both in the tombs of the extremely rich and those of more modest means. In contrast with most of the pupae which have been found, this one does not have articulated legs, and neither can it be dressed in different materials or garments as the chiton is carved onto the body itself. These characteristics would have limited the manner in which the doll could be played with. This, along with the fact that the doll resembles a statuette, could indicate that it possibly had a ritual function. In antiquity much importance was given to play and leisure time during infancy, both for its educational and religious function. The presence of dolls in funerary contexts has been explained by their symbolic and affective relationship with the deceased. The custom of dedicating these dolls to Venus has also been documented, especially in rites of passage when a girl came of age, or after the birth of a child, when a mother would beg Diana to protect the newborn child, represented by small figurines. BIBLIOGRAPHY: -\t. BALIL, A. Muñecas antiguas en España. Archivo Español de Arqueología, 35. 1962. p. 70-85. -\t. COLETTI STRANGI, A. Sulle pupae nel mondo Romano e sulle muñecas di Ontur. Scholia. Rome. 2012. p. 7-33. -\t. MORAW, S. and KIEBURG, A. Mädchen im Altertum /Girls in Antiquity. Frauen, vol. 11 2014. p. 315-318. -\t. PIZZAMIGLIO, P. Bambole articolate di èta romana: proposta diclassificazione. Rassegna di studi del cívico museo archeoligoco e del cívico ganinetto numimatico di Milano, 71-72. 2003. p. 83-103. Notes: - The piece includes authenticity certificate. - The piece includes Spanish Export License (Passport for European Union) . - According to Spanish legislation, items sent outside the European Union are subject to export taxes and will be added to the invoice, at the buyer's expense. These export fees are fixed on the final auction price and the tax rate is not applied directly on the total value of the item to be exported, but rather the different percentages by sections are applied to it: - Up to 6,000 euros: 5%. This export permit application process can take between 1-2 months maximum. - The seller guarantees that he acquired this piece according to all national and international laws related to the ownership of cultural property. Provenance statement seen by Catawiki.