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Sphinx from a marble figural capital

1st–2nd century CE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 168

Figural capitals represent the finest aspect of architectural decoration, and this finely carved example must have belonged to an elaborate Roman building. The fragment preserves the volute of a corner Ionic or composite capital decorated with a winged crouching sphinx on both eyes and a mask of Pan in relief on the pillow. It resembles a capital with a pair of heraldic sphinxes recorded in a 1761 engraving by Giovanni Battista Piranesi in the area of the Villa Borghese in Rome.

Sphinx from a marble figural capital, Marble, Roman — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Sphinx from a marble figural capital

Date: 1st–2nd century CE

Culture: Roman

Medium: Marble

Dimensions: Height: 14 9/16 in. (37 cm)
Width: 12 5/8 × 5 in., 42 lb.(w/ base) (32.1 × 12.7 cm,

Classification: Stone Sculpture

Credit Line: Lent by Mr. Andrés A. Mata

Accession Number: L.2016.59

The Met

Greek and Roman Art at The Met

The Museum's collection of Greek and Roman art comprises more than 30,000 works ranging in date from the Neolithic period to the time of the Roman emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity in A.D. 312.