Basin with the Head of a River God
Unknown · Second century AD
The twin of the Medusa basin nearby, this bowl of golden alabaster measures just over two metres across and was likewise cut from a single block of the veined, translucent stone. In the medallion at the centre a bearded face wearing a crown of reeds looks up: a river god, the personification of a stream, exactly the right guardian for a vessel meant to hold water. Look closely at the eyes, whose pupils are chipped, and at the joins where the broken bowl was glued back together. The original foot was lost and has been replaced in grey granite.
Both basins were discovered in Rome in 1720 near the Tiber at the foot of the Aventine, and both date from the second century, when wealthy Romans ornamented their gardens and baths with fountains in coloured stone. Alabaster of this quality came from Egypt or Asia Minor and was valued for the way light passes through its thin edges. The pair came to Paris in 1803 in the Napoleonic transfers from Rome and stayed at the Louvre after 1815.
Did You Know? Reeds in the god's hair mark him as a river, the natural spirit to guard a basin of water.
Unlock the Full Guide
Read every room and listen to every work in all museums with premium.