Roman Gladiator Statuette

1st century AD. A bronze statuette of a gladiator wearing greaves, leather straps to the right arm, short tunic belted at the waist, wide brimmed helmet and visor covering the face; standing with legs bent, left arm raised behind a curved rectangular shield, right arm lowered with a short sword; on a round waisted pedestal. Cf. The J. Paul Getty Museum, accession number 96.AB.189 for a similar type. 195 grams, 9cm (3 1/2"). Property of a London collector; acquired on the London market, 1990s-2000s. Gladiatorial shows were a popular form of entertainment during the Roman Imperial period and are a common decorative motif, featuring heavily on terracotta oil lamps. Most often, gladiators were criminals, prisoners of war or slaves and could be distinguished by their weaponry and armour. The armour of this figurine bears most similarity to that of the hoplomachos, who wore greaves, an arm guard, and a brimmed helmet, but the shield is more like that of the murmillo. [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.]
Condition Report: Very fine condition.