Relief with Acanthus Foliage

Likely one part of a precinct (temenos) wall surrounding a major public altar in Rome, this relief panel is carved with scrolling acanthus tendrils loaded with blossoms and fruit, and adorned with ribbons. A bird perches at top left to feed her young. These motifs are characteristic of the imperial imagery of Augustus’s reign, which sought to convey political stability and prosperity through depictions of natural abundance. Another panel found in the Church of San Pietro Montorio in Rome comes from the same monument, which was constructed shortly after Augustus’s Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace) was completed in 9 BC. Both fragments were uncovered in 1825, when this panel was acquired by the 4th Earl of Aberdeen and removed to Scotland.