3-037-057 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Relief of Jupiter, A.D. 1-150. Additional Info: Mask-like portrayal of a mature man with long wavy hair parted at the center, and a luxuriant curling beard. The face is broad, with a straight nose and parted lips. The eyes are heavily-lidded, with the outline of the iris incised and shallow insets for the pupils. In many respects, the face resembles depictions of Jupiter (the Greek Zeus) as Serapis, an Egyptian god of fertility adopted by the Greeks in the Hellenistic period. The function of this relief is uncertain, but it may have been part of a large decorative element on a ceremonial shield or another piece of armor.