Imperial Eagle
Unknown Artist
100 BCE–100 CE
Medium
bronze with garnet inlays
Dimensions
12.1 × 6.9 × 9.7 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1988.40
About this artwork
This eagle stands on an integrated bronze base with overlapping ovoid-shaped feathers creating a layered pattern across its body, and its tail feathers fanned out. The wings, now lost, were likely cast separately in bronze and then soldered or welded to the bird’s body. The eyes are inlaid with red stones believed to be garnets. The eagle is associated with Jupiter, king of the gods, and the Roman poets Virgil and Horace described the birds as the bearers of his thunderbolt. While eagles were of...