Bronze Neptune from Lyon arrives in Rome

"The Neptune of Lyon, one of the largest and most important bronze statues from Roman Gaul, has arrived in Rome for a one-time guest starring appearance at the Giovanni Barracco Museum of Ancient Sculpture. The statue is in the permanent collection of the Lugdunum Musee et Theatres Romains in Lyon, and is being loaned to the sculpture museum as part of an extraordinary exchange of ancient works between the two cities."

"His wet curls hairstyle (a cap of curls clinging close to the head as if he'd just emerged from the water) identifies him as Neptune rather than another wavy-haired bearded deity like Zeus. While the objects he was holding in his hands were lost, the position of his hands compared to other statues suggest he originally held a trident in his left hand and a dolphin in his right."

The Neptune of Lyon has arrived in Rome for temporary display at the Giovanni Barracco Museum of Ancient Sculpture, loaned by the Lugdunum Musee et Theatres Romains. The hollow cast bronze figure measures 4'8" and dates to the 3rd century A.D., making it the largest Neptune bronze discovered in France and among the largest bronzes from Roman Gaul. Wet curls identify the figure as Neptune. Missing attributes suggest he originally held a trident and a dolphin. The statue was recovered from the Rhone in 1859 and likely stood publicly in a riverside temple, perhaps dedicated by the renunclarii boatmen. The Lugdunum museum included the piece in a 50th-anniversary exhibition on Roman art.

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