Head of Mercury; Rome, 1st–2nd centuries A.D.

Head of Mercury; Rome, 1st–2nd centuries AD.
Bronze.
Dimensions: 5.5 x 3 x 3 cm.

Provenance: Family bequest of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Archaeological collection assembled beginning in the 1950s by successive generations of the family through purchases at European galleries and auction houses.

Roman bronze statuette, cast in the round, depicting the god Mercury nude, wearing the winged helmet that is his primary iconographic attribute in Roman sculpture. God of commerce and messenger of the gods, as well as protector of travelers, shepherds, and orators, Mercury was also a psychopomp, charged with guiding the souls of the dead to the underworld. He appears to have been originally related to the Etruscan deity Turms, also a psychopomp and messenger of the gods, although most of his characteristics derive from his Greek counterpart, Hermes. He was not one of Rome’s original gods, but rather originated during the Republican era, at the time of syncretism with Greek religion. However, although he did not have a designated flamen or priest, an important festival was celebrated in his honor: the Mercuralia (May 15).