Roman Basalt Head of Serapis Lifesize+

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A finely sculpted basalt head of Serapis wearing a modius crown. Serapis, god of fertility and the afterlife, was a Graeco-Egyptian god who first appeared around the time of Alexander the Great and later adopted into Roman religion. Presented here with a full beard and mustache as well as an expressive visage framed by thick, wavy locks. Serapis is a combination of the attributes of the Egyptian god Osorapis (himself a composite of Osiris and Apis) with the attributes of a number of Greek gods including Zeus, Hades, Helios, and Dionysus. Ancient Romans did not typically respect the deities and belief systems of other ancient cultures, however those in the Greek and Egyptian pantheons were revered. Size: 15.5" H (39.4 cm); 22" H (55.9 cm) on included custom stand.

The god Serapis was originally created by Ptolemy I of Egypt as a means of unifying the Grecian and Egyptian cultures around the 3rd century BCE, though Romans were quick to adopt the cult of Serapis in favor of other overarching deities such as Osiris around the 4th century CE. From the late Hellenistic through to the Roman period, the cult of Serapis increased in importance, and his image was disseminated throughout the ancient world of the Mediterranean. Perhaps this example was modeled upon the Serapis of Bryaxis, created by the Greek sculptor in the 4th or 3rd century BCE for the Serapeum at Alexandria. This prototype inspired centuries of art, in which the god was represented seated, a sceptre in his left hand, his right hand resting on a figure of Cerberus, and wearing a chiton and himation, with a modius - a flat-topped crown so named because of its resemblance to a jar used as a a type of grain measure - atop his head.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Frances Artuner collection, Belgium, acquired in the 1960s

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#142464
Condition Report: Expected surface wear commensurate with age. Loss to parts of modius crown and some losses to peripheries and high-pointed areas such as nose, mustache, and locks of hair. Still a very strong presence.