328 - Fragment of carved bone depicting Eros, Roman culture, Imperial period, 1st–3rd centuries AD.

Fragment of carved bone depicting Eros, Roman culture, Imperial period, 1st–3rd centuries AD. Sculptural relief in carved bone. Dimensions: 4 cm high x 7.5 cm wide. Height including base: 10 cm. An interesting decorative fragment belonging to the artistic tradition of the Roman Empire, made of carved bone and decorated with a depiction of Eros, the deity of love and desire in Greco-Roman mythology, identified with Cupid in the Roman world. The piece belongs to the repertoire of small ornamental objects made from organic materials during the first centuries of our era, when the craft of working bone and ivory reached a remarkable level of technical and artistic development. Eros is one of the most widespread figures in classical iconography, usually depicted as a winged child or idealized youth, associated with love, beauty, and the forces that govern human relationships. His image frequently appears in reliefs, sculptures, murals, mosaics, and everyday objects, where it could take on both decorative and symbolic meanings. During the Roman imperial period, depictions of Eros and small cherubs or putti were especially popular in domestic decoration, often linked to mythological scenes, floral compositions, and allegorical motifs associated with prosperity and happiness. Roman artisan workshops used bone to manufacture a wide variety of objects, including furniture, ornamental coverings, toiletries, small decorative plaques, and personal accessories. The relative ease of carving bone allowed for the creation of delicate figurative details and polished surfaces of remarkable visual appeal. This fragment exemplifies this artisanal tradition, notable for its mythological subject matter and the use of a material particularly prized for the creation of small reliefs. Its fragmentary nature suggests it may have been part of the decoration of a larger object, possibly a piece of furniture, an ornamental box, or an applied plaque—common types in Roman bonework. The piece ...