★ Very Rare Subject ★

A RARE EARLY ROMAN BRONZE STATUETTE OF A LICTOR WITH TOGA Circa 1st century AD. An impressive and very rare togate statuette of a lictor, the official attendant and bodyguard of Roman magistrates. The head of the present example is turned slightly to the right, with a Julio-Claudian hairstyle of short, curved locks. The bent right arm is broken below the elbow. In the left hand he is carrying the fasces, the bundle of elm or birch rods tied with a red belt that symbolised the magistrates’ executive power. (The upper part of the fasces was separately added and is not preserved.) The back of the statuette is hollowed out, with a massive round stud for attachment. Most likely, this statuette belonged to a larger historical relief depicting a ceremonial scene, perhaps on the breastplate of a bronze statue of a horse, where similar statuettes of lictors are known to have been displayed. For a close parallel see: The Art Institute of Chicago, inv. no. 1980.809. H 10.2 cm

Austrian private collection, acquired on the European art market.