A LARGE ROMAN BRONZE BUST OF SERAPIS

CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.

Details

A LARGE ROMAN BRONZE BUST OF SERAPIS
circa 2nd century a.d.
Cast with a luxuriant head of long wavy hair with the characteristic vertical locks at the forehead, the full, curly beard with two large coiled locks on the chin, the eyes inlaid in silver, the pupils, positioned in an upward gaze, recessed and perhaps originally inlaid in a contrasting material, wearing a tunic with open neck and a mantle draped over the left shoulder, the left arm slightly raised, a kalathos or fruit-basket on his head ornamented with olive branches in relief and surmounted by an eagle with outstretched wings, its head turned sharply to the right
14 in. (36.8 cm.) high

Provenance

The Roger Peyrefitte Collection, Paris

Literature

Mitten and Doeringer, Master Bronzes from the Classical World, no. 271.
Clerc and Leclant, "Serapis" in Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (LIMC), vol. vii, p. 677, no. 104, pl. 510.
Kater-Sibbes, Sarapis, Preliminary Catalogue of Sarapis Monuments, no. 373.
Peyrefitte, Un Muse de L'Amour

Lot Essay

The cult of Serapis, perhaps introduced into Egypt by Alexander the Great, was vigorously promoted by Ptolemy I Soter. The god embodied aspects of many different deities, including the Egyptian Gods Osiris and Apis and the Greek Gods Dionysus and Hades. It was hoped that this new god, whose main temples were at Alexandria and Memphis, would appeal to all the citizens of increasingly cosmopolitan Egypt. Because Serapis was "a loving god who personally cared about the health and well-being of his devotees," (1) his cult enjoyed immense popularity during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, in Egypt and beyond.

This large bronze bust, one of the finest of its kind, is a faithful replica of the famous cult statue in Alexandria, sculpted by Bryaxis circa 286-278 B.C. Although the original is now lost, the pose can be reconstructed from depictions on engraved gems of the Roman period. The god originally held a scepter in his raised left hand, which is abbreviated in the present example by having the left shoulder raised. The Ptolemaic eagle, which the gems show to have adorned the pediment of Serapis' temple, is here placed on top of the kalathos. The vertical locks on the forehead and the two coils of the beard are known from countless surviving depictions of the god. The popularity of the Serapis cult and the demand for small-scale images was likely stimulated by the refurbishment of the famous cult statue by the emperor Hadrian (A.D. 117-138). (2)

(1) Friedman, Beyond the Pharaohs, p. 203.
(2) Williams, The Archaeological Collection of the Johns Hopkins University, pp. 93-94.