Very Large Roman Marble Attendant - Married Woman

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 4th century CE. Carved from a large, solid piece of beautiful, creamy marble, this is a tomb attendant figure, depicting a woman's body dressed in a stola. The carving gives an exceptional view of a piece of clothing that is often hidden by a gauzy, draped himation in artwork, and also gives us important clues as to the identity of the woman depicted in the statue. The flounce on the long side of the skirt and the bottom, the high waist held in place by a thick belt, and the gathered sleeves are all nicely carved here. The rest of the marble surface is beautifully smooth. The hands probably once held items - a fan, maybe, or a mirror - while the head likely had a detailed and ornate coiffure. This figure probably graced a tomb, serving as an attendant and mourner. Size: 6" L x 9" W x 22" H (15.2 cm x 22.9 cm x 55.9 cm)

Stolae were made of linen or wool, although the wealthiest women could wear ones made of silk. They came in a variety of colors - reds, yellows, and blues - and often had decoration on the neckline and hem, like the flounce seen here. Roman women had to adhere to strict rules about clothing. A woman could only dress in the stola after her marriage (in fact, courtesans could only wear men's togas!), and they were an outward sign of the wealth and prestige associated in the Roman world with being a married woman.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-William Froelich collection, New York, USA, acquired in the 1970s

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#141481
Condition Report: Head and hands are lost. Surface wear commensurate with age, with scratching and chips, especially around where the hands used to be and down the fringe of the garment. Nice deposits on surface and good preservation of remaining form.