Torso of Sylvanus
Torso of Sylvanus
Ancient Rome Circa 1st-2nd Century A.D.
Material
Marble
Dimensions
Height 31 cm
Provenance
– Ohrtmann collection, Kiel, Germany, formed during the 1960s – 1970s.
– Petit Musée, Montreal, Canada, 1996.
– Anonymous sale; Christie’s, London, 24 October 2013, lot 81.
– Private collection, London, acquired at the above sale.
Description
Body of a naked, standing Silvanus. He has knotted a deerskin over his left shoulder, which widens into a fruit apron in front of his left breast. A pruning knife lay in the lower right hand, and a pine branch was on the upper left arm.
As fertility god he is the protector of herds and cattle and is associated with Faunus. He shows many similarities with the Greek Pan. The first fruits of the fields were offered to him, as well as meat and wine.