Fragmentary Male Torso

Place of OriginSyria or Turkey

Datec. 2nd century CE

Dimensions37 13/16 × 17 1/8 × 13 1/2 in. (96 × 43.5 × 34.3 cm)

MediumBasalt or a similar stone, likely quarried in the Hauran region (modern-day southern Syria).

ClassificationSculpture

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey, Henry W. Wilhelm, Madame Georges Henri Riviere, Thomas Whittemore, and the American Institute for Persian Art and Archaeology, by exchange

Object number

2017.25

On View

Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 02, Classic

DescriptionThe life-size basalt torso depicts a well-muscled male figure from the neck to upper thighs. The surface is dark and slightly mottled, with signs of wear and historical fractures. The legs are truncated mid-thigh and no arms or head remain. The stone is dense and smooth, showing subtle modeling of the abdomen and pectorals.

Label TextCarved from the black, hard stone basalt, this over life-size figure comes from the Eastern part of the Roman Empire, probably from modern-day Turkey or Syria. The well-muscled nude would have likely depicted an athlete, a hero, or a god, although the absence of an identifiable attribute and the lack of pubic hair indicate that the figure instead may be an idealized youth. The deeply carved grooves between muscles give the figure a powerful, captivating presence.