Roman Bronze Spread Eagle Statue Base

Object Description

A beautiful ancient Roman bronze statuette base in the shape of an eagle. The bird is modelled with its wings spread and particular attention paid to the details of the wings and head. Fragments of human feet stand on the tail of the statue, suggesting a larger original composition. Given the repertoire of references to eagle compositions with human figures, the scene depicted could have featured various mythological figures. Jupiter riding on the back of the bird, it’s wings outstretch, was a commonly featured composition. Similarly the scene could also refer to the myth of the abduction of Ganymede, who was frequently depicted with an eagle.

Date: Circa 1st-4th century AD

Object History

‘The Ancient Menagerie Collection’ formerly the property of a Cambridgeshire lady, collected since the 1990s and acquired from auctions and dealers throughout Europe and the USA, now ex London collection

Object Condition

Fine condition. The eagle is a fragment of a larger composition that did not survive. The bird is intact and detailed with some chipping to the right wing and the beak.

Object Details