Roman Period Sculpture of a Stylized Sheep

Even today in the Middle East, the sheep is a favorite animal to be sacrificed and eaten at festival times. This abstract but charming clay sheep was perhaps offered as a gift to the gods of Rome by a person who could not afford to give a live animal. It is a humble votive, though it has gained beauty with the ages. Surely the dreams and aspirations of the person who placed it at some ancient shrine could hardly have been different from what we would wish for today; health, happiness and prosperity.