A ROMAN MARBLE RELIEF PANEL

A corbita was a staple of the Roman merchant fleet. They could vary in size and were easily handled by a small crew, and were often used for coastal and river journeys, particularly the route from Ostia up the Tiber to the capital. For more depictions, cf. 'Marble relief showing a man, perhaps an African, sailing a corbita', British Museum, inv. no. 1850,0304.32, and J. Chamay, Ostia: Port de la Rome Antique, Geneva, 2001, p. 78 and 79. The nudity of the figure in the present lot is unusual, and, along with his heavy beard, may suggest that he is a foreign, rather than native Roman, sailor.