Panel of Venus, “Pudica Type”

4th–6th century

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 302

Carved in relief on the convex side of a bone panel, a nude female figure stands in contrapposto with her left leg bent and left hip rotated inward. Turning her face as if to avoid our gaze, she reaches her right hand across her body to hide her breasts while her left hand covers her groin. A large cloth falls behind her body in loose folds, exposing her nakedness. This pose is known as the Venus Pudica, or "modest Venus," and refers to the ancient Greek type of female nude.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Panel of Venus, “Pudica Type”
Date: 4th–6th century
Geography: Made in Egypt
Culture: Late Roman/Early Byzantine
Medium: Bone
Dimensions: 3 1/8 × 1 9/16 in. (8 × 4 cm)
Classification: Ivories-Bone
Credit Line: Bequest of Nanette B. Kelekian, 2020
Object Number: 2021.37.4
Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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