CIRCA 1ST-3RD CENTURY A.D.

The god of the sea, Neptune, is depicted here in lively motion, with his torso slightly twisted as he dynamically extends his right leg in front of the left. His hair and beard is wind or wave swept, which is unusual for representations of Neptune. The right hand grips the remains of the neck of an open mouthed dolphin. Towards the base, attached to the sash near the left ankle is a cylindrical element, possibly a section of the dolphin's body. The missing left hand may have possibly held a trident, one of Neptune's attributes. See acc. no. 63.2761 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, for a similar figure of Roman workmanship.