Bronze statuette of a pantheress
Unknown Artist
1st–2nd century CE
Medium
Bronze, copper, silver, niello
Dimensions
Other: 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 x 8 5/8 in. (14 x 10.8 x 21.9 cm)
Classification
Bronzes
Culture & Period
Roman · Imperial
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1907
Accession Number
07.261
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite bronze statuette of a pantheress, crafted in the Roman Imperial period (1st–2nd century CE), captures the wild grace of one of antiquity's most evocative animals. Standing just over 8 inches long, the figurine gleams with intricate details: its sleek form rendered in bronze, accented by copper, silver inlays, and niello—a sophisticated black sulfide technique used to create striking contrasts in metalwork. Such multi-metal embellishments highlight the technical prowess of Roman artisans, who reserved these methods for high-status objects. In the bustling world of Imperial Rome,...