Extremely Fine Roman Bronze Boar Finial

$315.74

An extremely fine Ancient Roman cast bronze finial or furniture mount in the shape of a boar’s head dated to the first centuries of the Roman Empire. The protruding head features distinctive and naturalistically rendered thick hair, snout and tusks, which identifies it with a male wild boar. Finials, appliqués and mounts, such as this fine example, were extremely popular across the Roman Empire. It was the custom for the Ancient Romans, especially the wealthy, to have highly decorated everyday life objects, such as jewellery boxes or toiletries tables.

Date: Circa 1st-3rd century AD
Condition: Excellent condition, complete and intact. The piece has been previously cleaned, revealing the original bright colour of the bronze.

SOLD

SKU: CG-27 Category: Tags: ,

The boar played an important role in ancient Greek and Roman culture. It was often associated with its capacity to destroy humans and crops, with boar hunting consequently becoming a popular pastime amongst Romans, considered strengthening the body and mind. It was also a recurring motif in myths: hunting down the Erymanthian Boar was Hercules’ fourth labour, and the hunt of the Calydonian Boar had made a name for Atalanta’s skills.

To discover more about other animals in Roman art, please visit our relevant blog post: Animal Symbolism in Roman Art.

Weight 55.8 g
Dimensions L 3.6 x W 2.3 cm
Culture

Metal

Region

Reference: For a similar item, The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, item 60.1392

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