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A marble statue of Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom, helmeted and wearing a long chiton and himation, her aegis with the serpent-haired head of Medusa, fringed with serpents, sits in the form of a strap across her breast. In her right hand, she holds an object, perhaps intended as an element from a spear. The work is Italian, probably from Rome, and made in the eighteenth century, a restored antiquity. The torso is ancient, set into a later base, the head, arms and left foot are restorations. It was probably acquired for Robert Adam's remodelling of the Marble Hall in the 1760s. It was first recorded in 1782 inventory of Osterley in the Marble Hall.
Title
Minerva
Date
1 AD–150 AD & c.1750–1780
Medium
marble
Measurements
H 155 x W 66 x D 42 cm
Accession number
772410.2
Acquisition method
purchased from George Child-Villiers, 9th Earl of Jersey, by HM Government, 1949, and vested in the Victoria and Albert Museum; transferred to the National Trust, 2002
Work type
Sculpture