Marble relief fragment
Unknown Artist
1st–2nd century CE
Medium
Marble, Palombino
Dimensions
Overall: 3 15/16 x 5 1/2 in. (10 x 14 cm)
Classification
Stone Sculpture
Culture & Period
Roman · Imperial
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1917
Accession Number
17.230.118
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite marble relief fragment, carved from fine-grained Palombino marble in the 1st–2nd CE during Rome's Imperial period, offers glimpse into the artistry of ancient Roman stone sculpture. Measuring a modest 3 15/16 x 5 1/2 inches (10 x 14 cm), it survives as a delicate piece, likely part of a larger decorative panel altar, or sarcophagus The tags "Cats" "Leaves" hint at charming subject: playful cats amid foliage, rendered in low relief with incised details that capture movement and texture. In the Imperial era, Roman sculptors mastered relief carving to adorn public monuments and pr...