A ROMAN MARBLE OWL

The symbolic attribute of the goddess Athena and of her Roman counterpart Minerva, the owl represents the goddess' judicious wisdom, famous in Graeco-Roman mythology. In Athens, the cult of Athena - the city's patron deity - was central to the religious fabric of the city as well as across Greece; in Rome, together with Jupiter and Juno, Minerva formed part of the Roman Capitoline Triad, worshipped in the elaborate temple on Rome's Capitoline Hill, the Capitolium, as the supreme protectors of the city and of the Empire.

Owls appear on the coinage of Athens as well as on countless black- and red-figured vases. In Roman art, owls also appear in sculpture (for example cf. D. Boschung and H. von Hesberg, Die antiken Skulpturen in Newby Hall, Wiesbaden, 2007, no. N2), but a marble owl of this scale and quality is a rare survival. It is likely that this sculpture was dedicated in a temple to Athena, perhaps in Rome, to delight and thank the goddess, and encourage her continued protection.