Tickets
English
DonateMembership
Tickets

Bronze statuette of Hermes

1st century BCE–1st century CE
Not on view
Restituted
This artwork was restituted in June 2026. It is no longer in the museum’s collection.
Hermes—messenger of the gods, the cattle rustler, the inventor of the lyre, the guider of souls across the River Styx, the manly god of boundaries—stands gracefully here rather than moving purposefully. He likely originally held his kerykeion (herald's staff) in his left hand. A pair of wings are strapped to his feet, and the small rectangular cuttings at the top of his head once held wings that sprang from his laurel-crown. The eyes, once inlaid with silver, glass paste, or stone, would have added vitality to the figure.

The lack of interest in the specific delineation of the anatomy and the listless elegance of the pose attest to the decorative quality of this highly refined bronze. It is a sophisticated work, executed in a mannered, classicizing style that sets the god apart from the mundane world of the statuette's human owner and invites contemplation of the divine.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bronze statuette of Hermes
  • Period: Late Hellenistic or Early Imperial
  • Date: 1st century BCE–1st century CE
  • Culture: Greek or Roman
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: H. 11 7/16 in. (29.1 cm)
  • Classification: Bronzes
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1971
  • Object Number: 1971.11.11
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Bronze statuette of a philosopher on a lamp stand, Bronze, Roman
Bronze statuette of a philosopher on a lamp stand
Roman
late 1st century BCE
Bronze diskos thrower, Bronze, Greek
Bronze diskos thrower
Greek
ca. 480–460 BCE
Bronze statuette of a rider wearing an elephant skin, Bronze, Greek
Bronze statuette of a rider wearing an elephant skin
Greek
3rd century BCE
Bronze horse, Bronze, Greek, Corinthian ?
Bronze horse
Greek, Corinthian ?
8th century BCE
Bronze man and centaur, Bronze, Greek
Bronze man and centaur
Greek
ca. 750 BCE

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.