Roman Bronze Jupiter-Serapis Bust

Cast using the lost wax process, this stunning work is composed of three elements. The bust of the god is carried aloft by an eagle with outstretched wings, whose claws grasp a globe. This globe is hollow and would have been fitted onto a staff or scepter. One can therefore imagine that this object served as a military standard or as the insignia of a high-ranking official. The combination of elements at different scales conveys a symbolic meaning, namely the glorification of supreme power. This is the image of a syncretic Roman deity that combines the features of Jupiter, accompanied by his celestial eagle, and Serapis, the god of fertility, abundance, and healing. Both deities were conceived in a similar manner as mature men with long curly hair, moustaches, and thick beards. The bust retains a shoulder form with drapery, consisting of a sleeved tunic and a broad mantle over the left side. The head is surmounted by the typical headdress of Serapis, shaped as a modius, a vessel used to measure grain. It is decorated with vertical olive branches symbolizing growth and the bounty of the land. The arrangement of separate vertical locks of equal length above the forehead, resembling a fringe, gave its name to this particular sculptural type, known as the “Fringe type”. The moustache and especially the beard form an abundant mass composed of large, vertical, wavy locks. The face, which conveys a severe and distant expression, is that of a man in the prime of life, with well-structured features. The eyebrows are rendered in relief, the eyes are almond-shaped, and the cheekbones are finely modeled. Originally, Serapis was a Graeco-Egyptian god introduced by Ptolemy I in the late fourth century B.C. to establish a patron deity for the city of Alexandria. This god was also intended to unite the Greeks newly settled in Egypt with the native population. A syncretic figure, Serapis combines elements of Egyptian deities such as Osiris and Apis with figures from the Greek pantheon including Zeus, Hades, and Asklepios. This synthesis allowed him to appeal to a wide range of worshippers and to be widely venerated. Serapis was associated with fertility and abundance and was closely linked to the chthonic world, while also credited with healing the sick and foretelling the future. Many representations of the god were inspired by the Alexandrian prototype, a seated figure on a throne that, according to ancient sources, was created by Bryaxis around 280 B.C. The cult of Serapis achieved great success in the Hellenistic world and spread throughout the Mediterranean basin. During the Roman Imperial period, Serapis became associated with Jupiter Optimus Maximus, the ancient Roman god of rain, thunder, and storms, who was closely linked to agricultural fertility. Dedicatory inscriptions to Jupiter Optimus Maximus Serapis, left by Roman legionaries on altars and statues across the empire, demonstrate how this combined deity, associated with healing, protection, and victory in battle, came to be widely revered.

Reassembled: lower bust, head of the eagle, tip of the right wing; holes at the upper left of forehead and at the back of eagle’s tale; brown patina turning into bluish green in places.

Ex- Southern German private collection, acquired in 1980; German art market, Munich, 2003.

Treasure House Fair, London, 2024

HORNBOSTEL W., Sarapis. Studien zur Ueberlieferungsgeschichte, den Erscheinungsformen und Wandlungen der Gestalt eines Gottes, Leiden, 1973, pp. 219-232. (LIMC), vol. VII, Zurich , Munich, 1994, s.v. Sarapis, pp. 666-692. Master Bronzes of the Classical World. Mainz/Rhine, 1967, pp. 278-279, no. 271.