Roman Marble Woman

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The female figure wears a chiton buttoned down the right arm, and a voluminous mantle with a heavy fold draped across the chest and over the left shoulder and falling around the left arm. Without original attributes to identify her one can only postulate as to who she represents but the sensual contrapposto pose may point towards one of the Muses of Apollo or a goddess. The Nine Muses, named Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomeni, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Ourania and Calliope, were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory) and formed the chorus of Apollo, entertaining the gods on mount Olympus. In both the Greek and Roman traditions they inspired the knowledge necessary for excellence in such fields as poetry, history, music, drama and astronomy. They were often represented as personifications of their areas of patronage with a plethora of attributes, and were shown in a multitude of poses: seated, standing, leaning and dancing. Sculptural groups representing the nine Muses were popular at least as early as the Hellenistic Period, and continued to be used by the Romans for the embellishment of theatres, baths, private estates, and in relief on sarcophagi.