Bidspirit auction | STUNNING ROMAN MARBLE EMPEROR'S FEET

STUNNING ROMAN MARBLE EMPEROR'S FEET - Ca. AD 100 - 200 Roman marble fragment preserving a right foot and lower leg, plausibly from an imperial statue of the second century AD probably Hadrian. The limb is rendered with naturalistic toes and a thick sole, suggesting a careful observation of weight and stance. The footwear is an ornate, open-toed boot, secured by a lattice of straps that crosses the instep and climbs the shin. A projecting feline mask on the front functions as a martial and apotropaic emblem within Roman elite visual language The sides are enlivened with low-relief scrollwork and rosettes, providing a decorative register without obscuring the anatomy. Above, a fluted cuff with twisted moulding terminates at a break, with a square mortise indicating an ancient or later fixing. Size: 290mm x 260mm; Weight: 8.230 kg. Provenance: Private London collection; acquired in Germany; formerly with C. E. Schultze collection, Munich, late 1980s. For similar see: Archaeological museum of Istanbul, Env. 50 (7) This piece is accompanied by a historical report from Manfredi Maria Vaccari, archaeologist and antiquities expert of Chimera Heritage Consultants.