Classical Roman Sculptures
CLASSICAL ROMAN STYLE
During Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 A.D., Pompeii and Herculaneum in today’s Italy were preserved as they were on the day of their destruction. Particularly at Herculaneum, furnishings were carbonized beneath volcanic ash. This was pivotal to understanding how Classical Roman furniture was designed. Archaeological investigations and printed reproductions of discoveries would influence styles evoking this ancient civilization, from the Renaissance to neoclassicism.
While knowledge of Classical Roman furniture comes from rare surviving pieces, it is also derived from frescoes and sculptures portraying Roman life. Much of Roman art, architecture and design was informed by Greece — Roman architect, military engineer and writer Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, whose timeless De architectura is taught in contemporary architecture classes and pays tribute to classical architecture, visited Greece while working under Julius Caesar and admired the country’s architectural developments. The Roman solium references the Greek thronos, a stately chair of honor with an upright form and footstool. As the Roman Empire spread across Europe and into North Africa and Western Asia, the expansion of trade for silver, silk, marble and wood allowed for more luxurious designs.
Classical Roman furniture was made from bronze, wood and stone — in particular, marble — with ornate touches like tortoiseshell veneers, bone and glass inlays and claw feet. Ornaments depicting lion heads and mythological figures were sculpted from silver, bronze and ivory. Compared to the decorative attention given to the mosaic floors and wall paintings, however, furniture for even a wealthy house was minimal. It focused on the necessities for guests arriving for both socializing and business and the rooms housing family, relatives and enslaved people.
The triclinium dining room had banquet couches, items so prized they were sometimes interred with the deceased. Tall bronze or terracotta candelabras held oil lamps for lighting. Carved marble tables reflected status, while the lararium home shrine demonstrated faith.
Find a collection of Classical Roman decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Style: Classical Roman
Color: Black
19th Century Ebonized Plaster Bust of Marcus Tulles Cicero
Located in Stamford, CT
A Bust of Marcus Tulles Cicero, Roman Consul in 63 B.C. completed in ebonized plaster, circa 1880.
Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman statesman, orator, lawyer and philosopher, who served as consul in the year 63 BC. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the Roman equestrian order, and is considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists. (Wikipedia)
Provenance:
Collection of Brigadier General Alfred Douglas Miller...
Category
Mid-19th Century English Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Materials
Plaster
Cast Iron Bust of Nike
Located in Bloomfield Hills, MI
We presents for your consideration, this cast-iron bust of Nike.
A handsome decorative object for the garden, garden terrace, or interior space, Nike will add that layer of colle...
Category
20th Century English Classical Roman Sculptures
Materials
Iron
Roman Marble Head of Sophocles
Located in London, GB
Roman Marble Head of Sophocles
Circa 1st-2nd Century
Marble
This fine Roman marble head preserves the proper left side of the face of a middle-aged man, with broad nose, soft lips, and bearded chin. The short beard and sideburns have been finely carved with a flat chisel, to render the soft, wavy strands of hair. The cheekbone, undereye, and nasolabial folds have been delicately modelled in the marble by a skilled hand. In a letter from 1975, the former director of Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, suggested that the head could depict the Ancient Greek tragedian Sophocles.
Few figures in the Classical world stand aside Sophocles (c. 496-406 BC), inarguably the best known of the Athenian tragedians, in terms of the impact his works have had on the history of art and literature. The psychological depth he achieves in the seven of the 123 of his plays that have survived to the present day - most notably the three Theban plays: Antigone, Oedipus the King, and Oedipus at Colonus - not only inspired the Athenians, among whom Sophocles was honoured as a hero long after his death, but in our own time, have provoked landmark works on phychoanalysis and literary criticism, by thinkers like René Girard and, most famously, Sigmund Freud. In its masterful treatment of the marble this fragment sensitively captures the features of one of the most important playwrights of all time.
Height on stand: 7.9 inches (20 cm).
Provenance:
Collection of Danish sculptor Jens Adolf Jerichau...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Materials
Marble
Roman Marble Foot
Located in London, GB
Roman marble Fragment of a Right Foot with Sandal
Circa 1st - 2nd Century A.D.
An evocative Roman marble fragment, preserving the front portion of an over-lifesized sandalled foot. The toes, nails, and bridge of the foot have been sensitively carved. The outer sole of the sandal remains, with delicate, pointed straps joining between the first two toes in a diamond shape.
This fragment once belonged to Danish sculptor Jens Adolf Jerichau...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Materials
Marble
Roman Marble Statuette of Jupiter
Located in London, GB
Roman Marble Fragment of jupiter
Circa 2nd-3rd Century A.D.
Measure: Height: 19.7 cm
This beautiful Roman fragmentary statuette depicts Jupiter, the king of the gods, here recognisable from his two chief attributes, the eagle with outstretched wings - according the Pseudo-Hyginus, singled out by Jupiter because ''it alone, men say, strives to fly straight into the rays of the rising sun'' - and the base of the scepter, which remains at the side of the left foot, an aspect likely borrowed from the statue of Zeus at Olympia, once one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Though much of the original piece has been lost, the subtle anatomical detail in the feet mark this out as a piece of exceptional quality, and the work of an artist of particular talent and patience - as Johann Winckelmann once said of the famous Belvedere Torso, ''if you contemplate this with a quiet eye [...] the god will at once become visible in this stone.''
This fragment once caught the eye of Henry Howard, 4th Earl of Carlisle (1694-1758), a Knight of the Garter and among the most prolific collectors of his day. The piece, acquired during his travels to Rome, was proudly displayed on an alcove of the Western Staircase of Castle Howard...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Materials
Marble
Sterling Silver Michelangelo Statue of David Bust
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sterling silver michelangelo statue of David Bust. Marked 925.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Classical Roman Sculptures
Materials
Sterling Silver
Mid-Century French Polished Iron Bust of Young "Bacchante" Female
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a shell or wine cellar with this elegant bust. Hand crafted in France circa 1970, and built of iron, the bust sits on an attached round base, and depicts a young female "Bac...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Classical Roman Sculptures
Materials
Iron
Ermes Touch Lamp, Matte Black
Located in Mantova, MN
A sophisticated table lamp that will appeal to lovers of both Classical décor and contemporary style. The sculptural body – a bust of the god Hermes atop a column-shaped pedestal, is...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic, Plexiglass
Female Torso in Cast Stone Karl Springer Ltd
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This cast stone female torso was purchased in 1983 from the Karl Springer showroom in 1983. We have the original receipt for the purchase which where the torso was displayed in Honol...
Category
1980s American Vintage Classical Roman Sculptures
Materials
Cast Stone
Sculpture Bust Roman Emperor White and Red Marble
Located in Tivoli Terme, Roma
The sculpture realized by a Roman sculptor as from the Roman academy tradition, is carved with two marbles.
Gaius Iulius Caesare formally known as Cesare was a Roman general and statesman who played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Materials
Marble
Marble Bust of Caesar
Located in New Haven, CT
This very handsome 40" tal marble bust was hand-carved in Italy in the Grand Tour period. Made of rouge- grey- and Statuario-Marbles.
Circa 1860.
It is possibly of Marcus Junius Brut...
Category
1860s Italian Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Materials
Marble
Pair of 19th Century Cast Iron Female Figures Holding Pestle and Mortar
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
A pair of 19th century cast iron female figures holding pestle and mortar.
A lovely pair of figures, they are very heavy each of the figures is holding ...
Category
1860s Antique Classical Roman Sculptures
Classical Faux Marble Roundel with a Mask
Located in London, by appointment only
An extremely well-made copy of a classical mask after the antique, the face shown in high relief within a dished background and a border of Greek Key with discs to the four sides. No...
Category
20th Century Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Materials
Resin
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Classical Roman sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Classical Roman sculptures for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage sculptures created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, building and garden elements, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with stone, marble and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Classical Roman sculptures made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and France pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original sculptures, popular names associated with this style include Europa Antiques, LAGU, F. Barbedienne Foundry, and Massimo Marcomini. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for sculptures differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $60 and tops out at $150,000 while the average work can sell for $3,210.