HONORIFIC STATUE OF A WOMAN

This headless woman is not a goddess, but in her we can see the transition of divine qualities to honorable morals. She is dressed in what is known as a chiton and mantle, which was the traditional garb of an honorable Roman woman. Looking around the museum, you will see other headless figures that are confidently described as a certain god, so how do we know that this figure is not a god as well? And if she is not a god, how is it that we can prescribe divine qualities to her?

Ancient art thrived off the concept of copies, as copies provided a recognizable mold. This figure is also a copy, most likely of the Small Herculaneum Woman statue type. By following this form, the figure was imbued with honor and modesty, and those qualities would have then been passed on to the actual, historic woman she was based on. The woman portrayed would not have commissioned the statue for herself. Like with statues of gods, a patron would have commissioned the art for her as payment for some great deed she completed for the community. This statue would have stood for decades, constantly reminding the public of Roman values, and specifically reminding women of the standards they would have to meet to reach similar honors.