Unprecedented Roman figurine of a feline beast and a barbarian with a severed head

A detectorist in Harlow, England, has discovered a Roman sculpture of a cat-like beast dating from the 1st to 2nd centuries. It was originally part of a harness. It's the only one of its kind ever discovered in Britain. It has now been declared a treasure.

The figure is made of copper alloy. It is approximately 113mm long, 100mm high and 47mm wide. It is covered on the sides and underside with remnants of lead and iron fasteners. It depicts a seated feline beast with a distinctly modelled head, small ears and elongated body. Its paws grip a human head with closed eyes - the scene suggests that the man is dead. The beard, together with the man's hair, corresponds to Greco-Roman iconography used to depict barbarians.

Motifs of large cats appear quite frequently in Roman art and are associated especially with the cult of Bacchus and his retinue. Panthers, leopards and, exceptionally, tigers were used by Roman artists as symbols of the ferocity, ecstasy and unbridled power associated with this god. The stylisation of the beast emphasises distinctive features - typical of small Roman sculptures, which often served as personal objects, decorations or objects with a protective or symbolic function.

Bacchus is often depicted riding on a cat-like beast, in a chariot drawn by these animals, or clad in their skins to emphasize his power and his connection to exotic and untamed worlds. Similar artefacts are interpreted as ornaments for religious chariots. They probably represented symbols of good luck and protection, particularly popular among travellers and chariot owners.

Cat-like beasts had a special status in the Roman world. They appear in the provinces not only as practical animals protecting supplies from rodents, but also as motifs in art. In Roman Britain, however, similar figurines are not common finds, which makes this discovery particularly valuable in terms of cultural representations of the Mediterranean setting to the north-western provinces of the empire.

"The association of the cat and the disembodied head, however, echoes two images of cats that abound in other Roman media, which depict an animal head, usually a sheep, held under the feet or in the mouth and sitting or lying over a human figure, with the other person's head close to the animal's mouth or paws," the British Museum said in a statement. "This combination is otherwise unknown in objects of this type, although the pairing of cat and head has been documented on other objects," the museum added.

The find will be further studied as part of a wider collection of artefacts from the site. Detailed analysis of the material and manufacturing techniques may in future suggest whether the figurine was made locally or whether it came to Britain through trade or the movement of people within the Roman Empire.

3D model: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/ess-8ac18a-roman-vehicle-fitting-9497aef93b34451cbcaab9423f05163b

Sources: allthatsinteresting.com, theguardian.com