Fragment of a relief of a double Suovetaurilia Julio Claudian Period- Joe Geranio

[Joe Geranio]

Fragment of a relief of a double Suovetaurilia sacrifice, Julio Claudian period. 25-50 A.D.? Grey-veined marble , 230 x 180 cm. The Louvre (MA 1096-MR852 - N 1119). Cat. no. 31. Discovered in Rome in the late 15th century, then part of the Grimaldi collection, it was seized in 1798 during the revolution and exchanged in 1816. These purification rites involved the sacrifice of a pig, ram, and bull led by a priest, most probably the emperor. His face and those of several of the other figures were restored after it was found. Text paraphrased from article.

For more on Julio Claudian iconography and portrait study see:

Geranio, Joe - Portraits of Caligula: The Seated Figure? Vol. XX, No. 1 (1997) Society for Ancient Numismatics

Geranio, Joe - Portraits of Caligula: The Seated Figure? Vol. 21, No. 9 . (2007) The Celator


Joe Geranio