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Lot 57, torso of an Emperor, Roman Imperial, Julio-Claudian, 1st half of 1st Century A.D., marble, 43 5/16 inches high


By Carter B. Horsley

This June 11, 2010 auction of Antiquities at Sotheby's is small in quality but very high in quality with some very impressive Roman sculpture and some nice Egyptian works.

The most spectacular work is Lot 57, a large, Roman marble torso of an emperior from the Roman Imperiod Julio-Claudian Period in the first half of the 1st Century A.D.

The statue is 43 5/16 inches high and although it is missing a head, arms and legs it is an animated pose. It is, in fact, perhaps more impressive than a naked god or goddess that might have smooth and seemingly surfaces as the torso here is clad in a highly ornate uniform with rich sculptural groupings and a marvelously rippled "skirt." It is in wonderful condition and the top half of the depicted silver uniform has a radiant god flanked by four rearing horses. The lower half has two winged gods with shields. The top of the "skirt" has two rows of highly decorative flaps. The catalogue suggests that the sculpture probably represents Augustus, Tiberius, or Claudius and is carved in two parts and is standing with the weight on his right leg. It is "wearing a tunic, leather corselet with fringed lappets falling at the waist and shoulders, bronze cuirass, and paludamentum falling from the left shoulder over the back and formerly over the extended left forearm, the bronze brestplate decorated in relief on the chest with the god Sol emerging from the waters in a front quadriga and on the adboment with two Victories flanking a trophy and handing shield onto it, a large inverted palmette below with scrolling acanthus and rosettes on eiter side, the upper row of pteryges decorated with alternativing feline heads above lotus flowers and saddorsed rams' heads above palmettes, the lower row with alternativng gorgoneira and palmettes, a bearded head interrupting the sequence on the right hip."

The sculpture is "from one of the Twin Temples on the northeast corner of the forum of Salona in Dalmatia. It is property from an Austrian family collection.


The lot has a conservative estimate of $800,000 to $1.200,000. It sold for $7,362,500 including the buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article.

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