Getty Museum

Statuette of a Comic Actor or Enslaved Person

Date

2nd century A.D.

Medium

Bronze

Culture

Roman

Department

Sculpture

Institution

Getty Museum

Seated on a square object, a male actor reaches over his shoulder to pull his cloak up over his head. His eyes appear to be closed and his posture also conveys his sleepy state. The comic nature of the portrayal is accentuated by the roll of fat around the figure's middle and his plump legs, which swing too short to reach the ground. This statuette, however, does not fit easily into the usual categories of theatrical depictions. On the one hand, the actor's mask has the snub nose usually associated with a satyr, one of the semi-human companions of Dionysos, the god of the theater, and the object that he holds in his left hand appears to be a sort of thyrsos, or Dionysiac staff. On the other hand, his pose is reminiscent of that of a runaway or disobedient enslaved figure taking refuge at an altar. The structure of this statuette's base suggests that it was originally meant to be attached to a piece of furniture. Metal relief appliques and statuettes, made of gold or silver in the wealthiest households, often decorated Roman furniture.

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