CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.

Imagines clipeatae, or portraits on shields, were first placed in temples by victorious Roman generals to venerate their ancestors. The heroic associations of the form later proved popular in the private sphere, where they were used in the decoration of homes and family tombs as a means to honor the deceased (see N. Budrovic, “Framed and Fabulous: An Ancient Tondo Returns to View,” Getty Blog, 17 April 2018). In addition to freestanding examples cast in bronze or carved in marble, depictions of shield images were later widespread on sarcophagi during the 3rd and 4th centuries. On this clipeus, a young man with wavy hair is shown wearing a tunic and mantle; around the perimeter is an egg-and-dart pattern. For a similar example, see the portrait in Naples, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, pp. 184-185 in R. Winkes, Clipeata imago.