Bronze Weight Depicting the Bust of a Goddess

At the height of the Roman Empire, this splendid bronze sculpture was hung by its ring from a steelyard weight. The serene, idealized beauty of the woman suggests her divine status. As the weight was probably used to measure crops such as olives or fruit, she may represent Demeter, goddess of agriculture, or perhaps Fortuna, patron of commerce and luck. Though this is a functional object, it is also beautiful. It reminds us that in the classical world, even the practical tools of daily life were treated as works of art.