Archaeological Museum of Bologna

The statue depicts a male divinity, half-reclining on a chiselled basis that alludes to the waves, with his legs wrapped in a cloak draped in thick folds. Carries in his left hand a cornucopia full of fruits and in the right a bundle of reeds, elements that symbolize fertility and the fluvial environment.

More info

The head, with great curly hair and beard, of ancient origin, is not part of the rest of the statue. It's different in marble quality and state of conservation. The head and the body were unified in modern period, and probably they were part of two different statues. The head may be of a god (Zeus or Serapis) and the body of a Nilo's personification, linked with an alessandrine origin. This type of sculpture was very popular in the Roman world, becoming the example for statues depicting rivers.

Provenance: University Collection (formerly the Marsili Collection)
Datation: 1st - 2nd century AD
Material: Marble
Dimensions: height cm 52; width cm 78
Inventory #: G 1055