Statues

Statues & Sculptures

Ancient sculptures. On these pages of the category Sculptures and Roman Statues in the Roman Shop you will find not only antique works of art but also all kinds of entertaining information.

Ancient sculptures

On these pages of the category Sculptures and Roman Statues in the Roman Shop you will find not only antique works of art but also all kinds of entertaining information.

Sculptures & Roman Statues

A lot of information, by the way, as well as on many other pages of the Roman Shop and under other Roman categories ... Did you know, for example, that terracotta is made from red, ferruginous clay, but also from yellowish, calcareous clay? The mineral composition of the clays, or their mixtures and additions, determine the characteristic properties of the high-quality terracottas on the busts and reliefs pages here in the Roman Shop. As well as having a naturally warm colour, the pieces are extremely durable, waterproof and frost-resistant. As only a single firing at a relatively low temperature (900-1000 degrees Celsius) is required, production is straightforward. It is one of the oldest materials in human history. Terracotta is abundant and easy to work with, so it was widely used in ancient times. Later periods of prosperity were the Renaissance and the 19th century.

Our patinated replicas of Roman statues have an unmistakable look and feel. Be enchanted by the simple beauty of antique terracotta!

A monument to lovers

The Lovers terracotta, for example, which you can admire on the Roman statues pages in the Roman Shop, is beautifully designed: A Roman couple making love, kissing - all in the ancient style! This will not only make the hearts of newlyweds beat faster, but also those of antiquity lovers! A truly beautiful gift for those who love each other: The terracotta depiction of a Roman couple in an intimate embrace with a kiss was very popular in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD - in the truest sense of the word! Our piece is cast in ceramic and patinated. The original find from which this lovingly crafted replica is made comes from the temple district of Altbachtal in Trier. Other originals can be found in the Landesmuseum Trier, in Cologne and in Augst, Switzerland.

Fierce: the gladiators!

For the brave and competitive, there is also a nice terracotta in the Roman Shop in the category Busts and Reliefs: The Gladiators! In ancient Rome, gladiators (derived from the Latin word gladius, a short sword) were professional fighters who fought each other in public exhibitions. The fighting of gladiators against each other is called gladiature. Gladiatorial fights were part of Roman life from 264 BC to the beginning of the 5th century AD. The first documented gladiatorial games in Rome took place in 264 BC. This example was soon followed by other Roman nobles who also honoured their deceased with these performances, known as munus (service). As this form of gladiatorial combat took place next to funeral pyres, the gladiators were also called bustuarii (Latin bustum, funeral pyre).

Cicero wrote of these brave and controversial heroes of antiquity: "[...] what the brave gladiators show by going down with dignity, let us also do, the masters of all countries and peoples - let us rather fall with honour than lead the life of slaves in disgrace".

These are just a few examples of the terracottas in the Roman Shop, which are hand-crafted with great attention to detail and based on authentic ancient models. See for yourself and find your own personal favourite among the Roman terracottas - as a gift for yourself or for good friends who also love antiquity!

Things to know about sculptures and terracotta

Terracotta was made from ferruginous red clay, but also from calcareous yellowish clay. The mineral composition of the clays, or their mixtures and additions, determine the characteristics of high-quality terracotta. The pieces have a naturally warm colour and are durable, waterproof and frost-resistant. As only a single firing at a relatively low temperature (900-1000 degrees Celsius) is required, production is straightforward. It is one of the oldest materials in human history.

It exists in large quantities, is easy to work and was therefore widely used in ancient times. Later periods of prosperity were the Renaissance and the 19th century.

The patinated replica of a Roman statue has an unmistakable resemblance to the original sculptures.