FIGURINE

An incomplete and very heavily worn cast lead statuette or figurine, Roman date c.AD 43-410 or modern Date, 1800-1925.

Description: The figure appears male and the head is heavily worn with little detail of the face visible, the hair is in ringlets and frames the face.  The  upper torso of the figure appears unclothed and is naturalistically formed, with the worn remains of a garment around the waist; perhaps a chlamys ( a short cloak).  His legs appear bare.  The figures left arm is missing from the bicep and the right arm hangs loosely at his side.  His left leg is slightly raised and bent and missing from below the knee and the right foot is missing from the ankle. All the edges of this object are heavily worn, and the surfaces pitted and heavily patinated a mottled off-white colour typical of patinated lead.

Measurements: 93.05mm high, 38.82mm wide, 16.44mm thick and 63.72g in weight.

Discussion: It is not clear which god this statuette is meant to represent, similar examples reported from kent have been interpretted as cupid but tend to have clearly defined if usually missing wings, this figurine omits this feature so is unlikely to be a cupid. Similar examples on the PAS database from Kent include: KENT-223C9B; KENT-BB54D0; KENT-37921C. The prevalence of such lead figurines is begining to suggest a more modern date as lead roman figurines are quite rare