Italy, Rome / 1–100 CE
Barbarian
Barbarian
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Barbarian as sculpture (Italy, Rome · 1–100 CE).
WHY IT’S INTERESTING
This figure may have decorated an ornate parade breastplate on a horse.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as bronze.
The museum's collection notes: This bearded figure wears a tunic, trousers, and a soft conical hat with the apex bent over, called a Phrygian cap. He stands with his right hand raised (missing the index and little finger) and his left leg slightly bent. The figure originally held an implement in his lowered left hand, whose fingers curve around a shaft. The garments and cap identify him as a foreigner, likely a Dacian. Emperor Trajan (reigned AD 98–117) fought two military campaigns against Dacia (modern-day Romania), where he conquered and annexed the southern half of the region.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtBarbarianOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.