Asklepios

The “lost wax” technique (a casting process involving the use of a wax model) was widely employed in ancient times for the production of small figurines, many of them intended for dedication in shrines and sanctuaries. Such statuettes, which are found throughout the Greek world, represented a wide range of subjects including deities, worshipers, and animals.

The Art Museum’s statuette depicts Asklepios (Asclepius), a Greek god of healing and medicine, whose cult was particularly widespread in Hellenistic times. This identification is supported by a number of features, such as the pattern of the draped garment, the laurel wreath worn on the head, and the distinctive snaky curls of the hair. The figure's loose outer garment was known in ancient Greek as a himation.

The Art Museum’s statuette probably was modeled after a monumental bronze original. An Athenian origin is suggested by the figure’s close relationship to a well-known type of Asklepios cult statue associated with the god’s shrine on the Acropolis in Athens. A masterwork of bronze casting, this statuette reveals the level of sophistication and technical virtuosity achieved by Hellenistic Greek bronze craftsmen.