CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.

Without any distinguishable attributes the identification of this torso remains unknown. The arm slung across the body and slightly contorted torso suggest that this might be a depiction of Harpocrates or Eros. Of interest is the material. Bigio morato is a fine-grained gray marble, much favored during the 2nd century A.D., especially during the reign of the emperor Hadrian, whose villa at Tivoli has yielded a number of fine sculptures. See M.L. Anderson, ed., Radiance in Stone: Sculptures in Colored Marble from the Museo Nazionale Romano, pp. 67-71.