CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.

This finely cast bust depicts a depicts a youthful man wearing a toga over a tunic. His head is turned slightly to the left, with his hair arranged in tiers of short wavy locks, centered by one large upswept coil. He holds an undulating snake in both hands against his chest. The reptile's presence suggests a possible association with the cult of Asclepius, as the snake was one of the god’s primary attributes. For a 4th century Roman mosaic similarly depicting a youth holding snakes, see the example in the Louvre (inv. no. MNE 1188).

The distinct circular shape of this bust recalls an imago clipeata, or “portrait on a round shield.” Originally linked to victorious Roman generals who honored their ancestors by displaying shield-mounted portraits in temples, 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). Although imago clipeata were later produced in a variety of media, including marble and bronze, the basic shield form remained prevalent well into the 4th century.