Ancient Roman, Empire Marble Torso of Aphrodite (Venus) with Drapery - 23 cm

An attractive marble torso of a partially draped female figure, attributed to Aphrodite (Venus), in the tradition of Graeco-Roman sculpture.

The fragment preserves the torso and upper legs of a largely nude female figure, with an elegantly carved drapery falling along one side of the body.

The anatomical modelling is characterised by softly rounded breasts, a narrow waist, a gently curved abdomen and well-defined hips and thighs. The subtle shift in the body's contours creates a sense of natural movement and balanced proportions.

The navel and lower abdominal details are carefully indicated, while the transitions between the chest, waist, hips and thighs demonstrate attention to the sculptural treatment of the female form.

A particularly distinctive feature is the deeply carved drapery descending along the figure's left side. Its pronounced, flowing folds contrast with the smooth surfaces of the exposed body, adding depth and visual interest to the composition.

The reverse is also fully sculpted, with carefully defined back, waist, buttocks and upper thighs. The drapery continues around the side and onto the reverse, where elongated folds remain visible.

Despite its fragmentary preservation, the statuette retains an elegant and harmonious composition.

Iconography and Dating

The representation belongs to the Graeco-Roman tradition of partially draped female sculpture, particularly associated with images of Aphrodite, known to the Romans as Venus.

The combination of a nude female body, subtly shifting posture and drapery arranged beside the figure is characteristic of several sculptural types developed in Greek art and subsequently adopted and adapted during the Roman period.

The present fragment can therefore be attributed on stylistic and iconographic grounds to the Aphrodite-Venus sculptural tradition.

A dating to the Roman Imperial Period, approximately the 1st–3rd century AD, is proposed on stylistic grounds.

As the head, arms and lower legs are missing, identification with a specific Aphrodite-Venus sculptural type cannot be established with certainty.

Material and Surface

Carved from white marble, now displaying a varied grey-beige to light brown surface patina.

The surface retains areas of mineral deposition, natural discolouration and age-related wear.

The contrast between the smoothly modelled anatomical surfaces and the more deeply carved folds of the drapery remains clearly visible.

Condition

Fragmentary condition, as shown in the photographs.

The head and upper neck are missing. Both arms are broken, although part of the right upper arm remains.

Both legs are broken approximately at knee level, with the lower legs and feet no longer preserved.

The drapery descending along the side of the figure is substantially preserved.

The marble displays surface wear, minor chips, abrasions, mineral deposits and grey-beige to brownish discolouration. Several break surfaces show rounding and irregularities.

The principal anatomical features and the sculptural folds of the drapery remain clearly recognisable.

Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of the condition description.

Display

The torso is mounted on a modern black metal display stand.

The illustrated display stand is included in the sale.

Provenance

Formerly in the Madeleine & Erich Dammann Collection, Germany.

Acquired during the collectors’ extensive travels between 1950 and 1970. The collection is documented in Germany by 1970 through historical photographs of the family residence and subsequently remained in continuous family ownership.

The objects were acquired privately during the collectors’ travels. As was customary for private purchases made at local markets during the 1950s and 1960s, purchase receipts or invoices were generally neither issued nor requested.

Historical photographs and biographical documentation relating to the Dammann Collection are available and support the long-standing provenance of the collection.