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[FlaviusCrispus]

Nice David! Do you know anything else about that carving? Posture etc would fit with a funeral sculpture, methinks, but the style is different.

If you're referring to this piece...



...it's from a Gorny-Mosch auction around the middle of last year. I'll try to track down the catalog and post the description.

I had a look at it in their showroom. When I first saw the images, I wasn't sure it was authentic, but on close examination it seemed pretty convincing. It does look funerary, but the dimensions are rather smallish, and the proportions are certainly off (unless the guy really did have little, stumpy arms). Looking at it, I'm struck that the cloak is not a paenula after all, but what appears to be a sagum fastened with a brooch on the left shoulder, with the front pulled sharply down in some kind of triangular fold across his chest. Anyone see that fashion before?

Also, his sword seems to be suspended on the left and he seems to be holding something in his left hand-- a box of writing implements, maybe? What think you?

[Praefectusclassis]

Smallish is not a problem. The tombstones I have seen range from 3 meter high sculptures to ones that are less than a meter in height. Depends a lot on time, place, money and fashion I guess.
For the rest, I agree. It looks the part. I'm sure you could find other examples with the sword on the left hip. But yeah, the sagum and pteruges seem different. Do you have any idea where it came from?

[Alexius]

Dear Flavius,

Great studie and museun job! Congratulations to all!

Salve!

Alexius