Fragment of a statue depicting Eros dozing, lying on his left side. He rests on the carcass of the Nemean lion, his head resting on his hand. He would have been holding a club or an unlit torch, now lost, and may have been part of a sculptural group. The work can be compared to the type known as the ‘Istanbul Eros’. This iconography was widely imitated until the 19th century, in both sculpture and painting. Marble. Wear and impact damage. A hole in the rear base. Roman period, 2nd century AD. Height 14 cm, width 27 cm and length 26 cm. Provenance: a private collection in south-west France for around thirty years, then bequeathed to the current seller. Expert: Mr Daniel LEBEURRIER