HERMENEUTIC BUST OF SERAPIS White marble. Residual traces of lychen due to long exposure to the elements (see images before cleaning). 47 x 36 x 30 cm Roman art, 2nd century, based on a Greek original from the second half of the 4th century BC. possibly attributed to Bryaxis. A Roman marble bust of Serapis. 2nd century A.D., after a Greek original from the 4th century BCE attributed to Bryaxis. Provenance Former private collection, Switzerland French private collection, Strasbourg The head is characterised by a face with serious, emaciated features, invaded by a moustache-beard and thick, curly hair. The top of the hair is encircled by a headband tied at the back to mark the position of the discoidal base where the god's kalathos rested. The downward gaze indicates that this portrait was originally intended to be placed high up, or at least overhead. at least above human height. The indication of the pupils and iris adds intensity to Serapis' gaze. The hem of the eyelids and the fine arches of the eyebrows denote a certain delicacy. The mouth, whose upper lip is covered by this thick moustache, is also marked by a certain softness, due to the carnal aspect of the lower lip and the of the lower lip and the slight open space. Typical of the beard of Serapis, it grows in two rows, with a few blocks of curly locks underneath falling in spikes. The classical drapery, reminiscent of the Greek tunic and himation, covers the hermeneu-shaped bust. The coarse-grained white crystalline structure of the marble, spotted with The structure of the marble, with its coarse white crystalline grain and a few remnants of deposits (due to the work having been stored outdoors), is similar to that of Greek marbles, particularly Thassos marble. Although the god's headdress is missing, we can identify it as a representation of the god Serapis by the flat circular base on the top of his head and his facial features. The modius must have been made from a different, more precious material. The model shown here can be compared with a marble bust of Serapis from the Roman period in the Musei Vaticani in Rome, no. 245 (fig.1). The oldest iconographic type of Serapis commonly dates back to the simulacrum in the temple of Alexandria, the colossal Serapium, which the most widespread tradition attributes to Ptolemy I or III (Tacitus, IV, 81-83). The colossal statue is based on the canons of 4th-century sculpture. C., and gave rise to a large number of replicas and variants. The statue was colossal and composed using a technique reminiscent of chryselephantine sculpture and which also denoted the classical style of the author: on a wooden core, the various parts of the body were expressed in vile and noble metals, precious stones and the hard walls of Egypt, which shone with a thousand lights and perhaps with stucco finishes. The god was depicted seated on an archaic throne and resting his sandal-clad feet on a lion-legged stool. He was dressed in a thin chiton and a cloak hanging over his left shoulder. His richly coiffed head, with five curls falling over his forehead and a beard divided in two over his chin, was adorned with a modiuq, a symbol of fertility. In his left hand, the god held the sceptre, while his right hand rested on the central head of a stag. on the central head of a three-headed Cerberus (with the heads of a wolf, a lion and a dog), crouching beside the throne. The head is characterized by a face with emaciated and serious features invaded by a mustache-beard and thick, curly hair. The top of the hair is surrounded by a band tied at the back and thus delimiting the position of the discoidal base where the kalathos of the god rested. The downward gaze indicates that this portrait must originally have been positioned high up, at least overlooking human height. The indication of the pupils and the iris brings intensity to Serapis' gaze. The hem of the eyelids as well as the fine arches of the eyebrows denote a certain delicacy. The mouth, the upper lip of which is covered by this thick mustache, and also marked by a certain softness, due to the carnal appearance of the lower lip and the slight open space. Typical of Serapis's beard, it develops in two rows, with a few blocks of curly locks falling in points below. The classic drapery reminiscent of the Greek tunic and himation covers the herme-cut bust. The large white crystalline grain structure of the marble stained with some remains of deposits (due to the conservation of the work outdoors) can be compared to that of Greek marbles, notably Thassos marble. The god's headdress is missing, it is by the flat circular base on the top of his head as well as the physiognomic features that we can identify him as a representation of the God Serapis. The modius had to be made from another, more precious material. The model presented here can be compared to a marble bust of Serapis from the Roman era kept at the Musei Vaticani in Rome, no. 245 (fig.1). The oldest iconographic type of Serapis commonly dates back to the simulacrum of the temple of Alexandria, the colossal Serapeum which the most widespread tradition attributes to Ptolemy I or Ptolemy III (Tacitus, IV, 81-83). The colossal statue is based on the canons of 4th century sculpture. has. C., and will result in a very numerous series of replicas and variants. The statue was colossal and composed using a technique reminiscent of chryselephantine and which also denoted the classic style of the author: on a wooden core the different parts of the body were expressed in base and noble metals, in precious stones and in hard walls. from Egypt which shone brightly and perhaps with stucco finishes. The god was represented seated on an archaic throne and resting his feet, clad in sandals, on a lion's paw stool. He was dressed in a thin chiton and a cloak which hung over his left shoulder; the head, richly coiffed, with five curls falling on the forehead and a beard divided in two on the chin, was decorated with a modio, symbol of fertility. In his left hand the god held the scepter, while his right hand rested on the central head of a three-headed Cerberus (with heads of a wolf, lion and dog), who, crouching next to the throne, the body wrapped in the rings. snake, it underlined, with the livid and bluish colour of the naked flesh, the infernal character of the divinity.