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Statuette of the Personification of a City

300–500
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 301
Tyche, the personification of chance or fortune, was also understood as the protector of cities. Linked to civic pride and well-being, she appeared in a range of media, including coins, stone reliefs, glass bottles, and stone and copper-alloy sculptures. Here, Tyche sits on a low throne. Wearing a mural crown, chiton, and peplos, she holds a cornucopia in her left hand. She extends her right hand, which held a now-missing attribute, possibly a staff. It is difficult to identify which city is represented by the statuette, but regardless, the sculpture is representative of the small-scale Tyche images found throughout the late Roman and early Byzantine worlds.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Statuette of the Personification of a City
  • Date: 300–500
  • Culture: Late Roman or Byzantine
  • Medium: Copper alloy
  • Dimensions: Overall: 10 1/16 x 5 11/16 x 4 1/16 in. (25.5 x 14.4 x 10.3 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork-Copper alloy
  • Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1947
  • Object Number: 47.100.40
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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